Orange Days
by Tollpatsch
Summary: People come, people go and people have fun. For Maika, she had thought that was the case. OC. Currently covering the Teiko days.
1. Invasion

**オレンジ色の日々  
**

_**Orenji-iro no hi**_

* * *

**ORANGE DAYS**

* * *

**Part One: Seedling**

"What I invaded has

invaded me."

Denise Levertov, _Ways of Conquest_

* * *

**One: Invasion**

"This is my daughter, Maika." A firm nod before the young girl was ushered forward. Cold smiles passed between the adults. Large, bright eyes watched how the man's eyes did not smile with his lips. The child observed.

"And Maika, what do you say to Akashi-san?"

Her father lovingly patted down her long apricot curls. Maika slipped her smaller hand into his in response. "How do you do, Akashi-san," she said slowly, her mind wondering away.

A small smile stole across the man's face. This time it was real. "A lovely child, she is."

"I'm sure your son is also lovely."

"Haha, Seijuro isn't as lovely as your little one."

Maika perked up from her daydreaming, the name finally registering within her thoughts. _Akashi Seijuro-kun_. She studied the man talking with her father. Red-hair. Piercing eyes. Seemed to be very intelligent. Charismatic.

Just like that Akashi-kun from school.

* * *

The study was quiet. Wooden shogi pieces clicked against the playing board softly. He was playing against himself, as always. Occasionally, the pages of a novel rustled slightly as the reader submerged her self into the make-believe. She was reading, as always.

Rain pattered against the arched windows outside.

Maika saw no need to engage in further conversation with her classmate and newly dubbed family friend. He was strange. People always surrounded him, but he still remained alone. Apart from the basic greetings, they had not ever talked. There was nothing to talk about.

She was content to read by herself. Teeter Tan and Pinkerbell's adventures in Cleverland had been a wonderful read. She had finished the novel an hour ago, and they sat in silence for most of the afternoon. This was such a bore.

Maika couldn't take any more of this. She closed her book. "Akashi-kun?"

The boy slid his gaze to her, still moving the pieces around slowly. Seijuro said nothing. She took it as a sign to continue. "That game…may I play against you?"

He gestured to the empty chair opposite him. "You may."

Staring down at the shogi board, she pursed her lips. Seijuro was arranging his pieces back into the original positions, Maika deduced. A strange game for a strange boy. Strangely fitting, she punned.

_Hum. How would I play this…._

He looked up at her, and realised something upon seeing her expression. "You don't know how to play."

She startled. "That's right. You were playing the afternoon away on that wooden block. Which made me wonder what was so interesting about it."

"I see."

The girl tilted her head slightly. "Will you please teach me, Akashi-kun?" Tapping her chin lightly, a playful spark twinkled in her eyes. "Maybe I could beat you…"

"I have never known defeat."

He wasn't arrogant, for it would be hard for a fourth grader to be arrogant at this age with such limited life experience. Maika felt that it was his unquestionable ability to always win that birthed this confidence within himself. This unwavering belief in oneself was something she could never attain. It attracted people to him like bees to honey. It enraptured _her_.

"To begin, your aim is to capture my King piece," Seijuro explained steadily. "The King can move one square in any direction. Now, you've placed those ones in the wrong order. Move the Rook and the Silver General to…"

Maika focused on his patient voice. Surprisingly, he was very clear and easy to understand. She was getting a grasp at this game already. Moving her Queen, she fell into a trance at the continuous clicking of the wedged pieces on the board. The rain continued its gentle rhythm outside.

The game finished very quickly.

"_Ote_."

She lamented at her loss. "Again, please!"

* * *

_Click._

_Clack._

_Click._

Recently, Maika found that she was paying attention to Akashi Seijuro more and more. It must have been due to all those weekend afternoons spent with him. Even during class, she would stare at the back of his head. She would watch him interact with the perpetual crowd around his desk during lunch. She would wonder about what he does in his free time apart from playing shogi, what did he think of the new gym, what he felt about that new teacher, what does he like, what does he hate, _why was he always so sure of everything?_

"Have you heard of the saying: Winners are absolute justice?"

Oh. Had she said that aloud?

_Click_

"What do you mean, Akashi-kun?" Her eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"Since I have always won, then I have always been right."

That sort of logic seemed to be terribly warped, but she was blind to that sort of thing. She was too naive to understand the seeds to his reasoning.

"Hm. So you will always win in everything you do. What if you don't?"

_Clack._

"I will always win." _Click._

_Clack_. Maika frowned. "But—"

"Ote."

She bore holes into the shogi board with her gaze. "Ah, I lost again!" He always won over her in every single game. Maika cast her mind back to last week—he came first in all the tests, was the best at sports and was admired by both students and teachers alike. And yet, she thought that as a person, he lacked something.

He had no love for anything.

Maika pursed her lips. She thought that losing didn't mean that one was wrong. "Being absolute, being right…Winning isn't everything, Akashi-kun. That's what I think."

For the time being, Seijuro remained silent. He watched her with a clinical detachment, as if she were a specimen to be examined by his eyes, to be ultimately judged.

Time ticked away.

But when he did speak, it was an earful of a lecture that took up the last hour of the afternoon.

But she always came back.

* * *

He had always been worried about his daughter. Maika never had friends over, never came home late and never went out to play with any friends over the weekend. Of course his darling daughter must have friends.

_Or did she?_

Hiroto wondered if the little friend he introduced to his darling got along with her. Akashi Seijuro's father was his wife's upperclassman in Tokyo University, and it was a coincidence that they met again while sending Maika off to school. The Law (his wife) had recognised the chauffeur, and immediately he recognised the name. 'Akashi' was quite the prominent family in finance and politics, after all.

What a small world.

"So, Maika. What did you play with Akashi-kun yesterday? Hiroto peered into the rear view mirror of the Mercedes to gouge the girl's reaction.

Maika stopped staring out the window. "Shogi. I lost all the games."

_Is she pouting? How cute! _He tried to stop the smile from growing on his face. "Is that so…That's too bad, isn't it?"

"But winning isn't everything! And I'll win next time!" she proclaimed. "I'll win my match in karate class today, and I'll win the shogi match. I will win both!"

Hiroto sighed at the mention of karate. He slumped in his leather driver's seat, tapping a finger against the steering wheel. Upon watching a Western movie a few ears ago, Maika had been insistent on learning the (violent) activity. It was unbefitting of a delicate girl to be beating up boys left and right, but the rising crime rates and The Law (wife) had supported her as well. Outnumbered, Hiroto reluctantly agreed.

"Don't get too injured. Or Kaa-san will be worried."

"Tou-san, you don't need to lecture me on this. I can feel it! Today's the day I will advance to the Blue belt!"

Hiroto shook his head at her passion. _The beginnings of youth are always so bright_.

"Wait, Maika, you changed the subject! How's Akashi-kun?"

She folded her arms, miffed that her father caught her out. "He's cool. Like ice. Akashi-kun is polite, too…but sometimes he talks about things I don't understand. Probably genius-people things."

"You might be…friends?"

Maika frowned. "Not really. We don't really know each other well."

"But you're classmates as well."

"We don't talk at school," Maika said blankly. She thought of how people always crowded his desk. "But I'd like to talk to him more…"

She thought of his striking scarlet hair, and how fiery it looked under the sun's rays. He would sit on his chair with one leg tucked on the chair, the other stretched out casually. Sometimes he rested his head on his left fist, and he would look out the window with deep eyes, pondering something meaningful.

_What was he thinking about?_

"…Tou-san, I want to be his friend."

Hiroto smiled. _Children are always so honest_.

They drove and drove away. Towards new friendships, new relationships and new experiences. The youthful days were just beginning.

* * *

**つづく**

* * *

**End notes**

_Welcome to Orange Days! This is an original character story that will play with the interactions with different people as the story progresses. So, lots of other characters will be appearing and I will be exploring the dynamics between Maika and many others! It won't always just be Akashi…Also, the chapters will become much longer. This is a prologue. And updates will be very slow and irregular, because of many important exams coming up._

_Hope you will enjoy the Orange Days!_

_With love,_

**_Tollpatsch_**


	2. Closer

**オレンジ色の日々 **

_**Orenji-iro no hi**_

* * *

**ORANGE DAYS**

* * *

**Part One: Seedling**

"We'll be Friends Forever, won't we, Pooh?' asked Piglet.

"Even longer," Pooh answered.

-A.A. Milne, _Winne the Pooh_

* * *

**Two: Closer**

Gyosei Gakuen was one of Tokyo's most expensive private elementary schools. It was a school for children from wealthy families, but some things never change. Children never change, and so, today the teacher had planned something dreadful.

Group work.

"Now, since you are in fourth grade already, I'll let you choose the groups yourself!" the woman clapped her hands together.

The teacher, a Miss Hanakawa, delivered the sentence with a killer smile. The students were to get into groups of two or three for a flower observation diary. Each group had to choose a different flower, and they would record its growth over the term. Photographs were encouraged, drawings were supported and general observations were expected.

Casual nods were exchanged. Quick motions of _me and you, you and me_ finger points. Some meaningful glances were shared. Giggles and quiet whispering and stares and snickering. And in the midst of this, Maika was alone.

She tore her eyes away from the hidden novel in her lap to pay attention to her surroundings. She felt some people glance at her, but no one ever approached her. She was that girl who liked to read, who wouldn't want to have friends, wouldn't want to talk to them, who _must_ prefer to be alone.

Of course she didn't want to be alone.

Maika realised, that by the time the teacher told them to choose the groups themselves…the groups had already been decided. She closed her eyes. _One man group again…_

And then she took a little peek at the back of a scarlet head of hair in the middle of the class. Seijuro seemed to be writing something, scribbling away as if he hadn't heard nor cared about the commotion around him.

She still hadn't talked to him at school yet. _He_ probably had people pining for him to join their group. _I curse your good fortunes, Akashi-kun. _Maybe people would want her if she got a strand of hair of everyone in the class, and put it in a voodoo doll…

"So, all this chatter must mean that we've decided!" Miss Hanakawa clasped her hands together. "Who doesn't have a group?"

_Ah, me again_. Maika raised her hand. "I'm alone. Can I be by my—"

"I don't, sensei," Seijuro said at the same time. Several girls looked disheartened and patted each other's backs. The boys shot each other looks, as if confused that no one had integrated him into their group.

"_Why doesn't Akashi-kun have a group?"_

"_I wanted to be with him…"_

"_I thought you were with him already!"_

Maika stared at the redhead, wide-eyed. This was the first time…that he didn't…

"Then, if it's just the two of you…" Miss Hanakawa trailed off as she turned around to find a piece of chalk. She picked up the roll call sheet. "Hmmmm…"

The orange-haired girl tried to quash the stupid hope that was wriggling around. _Could it be?_

"Akashi and Sorenji, you can be the class monitors for tomorrow…" Their names were written on the board.

Maika deflated. _What?_

"And I'll put you two as Group One for the flower observations. Okay, who wants to be Group Two?"

She lit up.

* * *

Maika fidgeted (excitedly) while waiting for Seijuro to finish writing down difficult looking maths symbols. He had taken the desk next to her, as asked by the teacher. She couldn't stop the happiness from bubbling over and spreading all over her face.

"Wipe that goofy grin off your face. You look like an idiot," Seijuro deadpanned, still focused on his homework for special genius kids.

Instead, the smile grew bigger and she waved her hand airily at him. "Haha! What do you mean, Akashi-kun? I always look like this! I was born like this, I came into this world with a smile on my face!"

The corners of his mouth quirked and disappeared as quickly as it appeared. "Newborns can't smile."

"Well, I was definitely a special baby!" Maika laughed. Resting her head on her left hand, she watched the side profile of his face intently. His clear crimson eyes darted across his textbook in concentration. She blinked. He had such lovely eyes…

"I'd prefer you to stop examining me."

Undeterred, she kept unabashedly staring at him. "You have lovely eyes, Akashi-kun," she said truthfully. The filter between brain and mouth had malfunctioned days ago and was in dire need of repair.

His clear gaze flickered with what might have been slight discomfort. A compliment like that was usually meant for females, after all. "…Thank you."

"You're welcome," Maika responded immediately. She peered at his advanced work.

"Are you finished now?" Seijuro had stopped scribbling and was staring at the question with such intense focus it wouldn't have been surprising if the paper combusted then and there.

It would have been cool. Akashi Seijuro the psychic.

"Akaaaashi-kun?"

No response.

"Hello? Is anyone home?"

Still, no reply.

"Um—"

"I'm almost done."

"Okay."

Maika turned back toward the front of the classroom. And she waited. And waited. And waited.

Another ten minutes dragged by.

Looking around the classroom in boredom, she watched her classmates goof around. Some people were working hard, and other girls were staring at Seijuro and tittering amongst themselves. She wondered whether they would want to be friends with her. The little nagging voice at the back of her mind squashed that thought immediately.

_So much time has passed, and they haven't bothered to be friends with you. What makes you think that they've changed their minds? Stupid! Idiot! Maika you're so stupid!_

She frowned. But—but she also made no effort to make friends as well! They weren't at fault, it was a hard thing to do, connecting and communicating with other human beings…

_You need to have a common interest! And have you forgotten already? You told Tou-san that you wanted to be Akashi's friend—start climbing that mountain! NOW._

But that mountain seemed so impossibly high! What if—

"I'm done." Seijuro closed his book of harder genius maths questions.

"Oh."

He went straight into business. "Now, about the diary…I'd like to recommend easy to grow flowers, such as Sunflowers, Sweet pea, Nigella, Marigold or Geraniums." He waited for her answer patiently.

Maika had made an immediate decision, but felt that she should ask the other party of their thoughts. "Which one would you prefer, Akashi-kun?"

"I am not too interested in flowers at all, so I have no preference." _Because he was manly._

Her eyes gleamed, and she smiled at him. She seemed to be smiling more lately, Seijuro noted.

"I love sunflowers! Let's do that!"

* * *

The next morning, Maika walked into school with a light skip in her step.

"Have a good day, Tou-san!" She waved back at Hiroto in the Benz. "I love you!"

That was the fatal blow to his heart that morning. The Law (wife) would be _so_ jealous—just wait until he whips his phone out and dial that number…

"_Fufufu…Maika loves her Daddy!" _Hiroto giggled in his seat.

_Toot! Toot!_

_HONK!_

"Please hurry up, Mister!" The driver behind called out to him.

Hiroto gritted his teeth, annoyed. "Don't interrupt my moment!"

* * *

"Today I might ask him to be my friend…" she muttered quietly to herself as she changed into the indoor shoes.

"But the timing has to be right, and I have to do it when he's in a good mood." An idea popped into her head and she praised herself for its ingenuity.

"Maybe if I get him something he wants…!"

Bribery isn't the way to make friends, Maika. Readers, please do not learn from this example.

"Ah, thinking about it won't make anything happen. Seize the day, Maika! Just do it!" she encouraged herself as she got closer to the classroom.

Maika carefully slid open the door to the classroom and spotted Seijuro dusting off the chalkboard eraser on the balcony. He was early. "Akashi-kun, Good morning!"

He turned around. "Good morning to you too, Sorenji."

Maika walked towards the balcony, and stuck her head out. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No need. I've done it all already."

She gaped at him, thoroughly impressed. "How fast! It's only eight o'clock, and school starts in thirty minutes. But, I'm sorry I wasn't much of a help, Akashi-kun," she said apologetically, walking back to her seat. Now she had nothing to do. The pain of waiting until class starts…

Her eyes nearly popped out of her head when she realised Seijuro had come and sat next to her. But—it wasn't his desk! And his was way over there in the middle of the room, and—and—

"Have you joined a club yet?"

She felt surprised at the sudden question. "No, I haven't joined any at all." Then she beamed at him. "But that's because I go to the dojo for karate classes!"

Seijuro hadn't expected that. "Karate?" He re-examined her body structure. Slender, with little muscle. But she was quite adept at sports, and was stronger than most girls her age. He studied her again.

This time, she noticed the analytical, calculating look he had. She took no note of it.

"Yup! It's like whoosh and bam and wham and then the bad guys are knocked out! It's fun, because it makes you strong! And I think it's super cool!" Maika said animatedly.

She paused. Talking too much about herself might be considered rude, The Law (mother) had said to her once. "What about you, Akashi-kun?"

"I'm in the basketball club."

"Basketball? How surprising, I never thought you'd join that type of club. Why did you join?"

He smiled; amused at the ever-curious expression she always had. "It's a way of improving myself."

There it was again. Another one of the nonsense reasons Seijuro cooked up that she couldn't understand. "Improve? Aren't you perfectly fine the way you are now? You always seem to win at everything…"

He looked into her crystal clear eyes. She always spoke with honesty, and a virtue like that didn't go unnoticed from him. "There's always room for improvement, don't you think?" Seijuro asked softly.

Her gaze never wavered. "Yes. There is. But don't lose sight of yourself, Akashi-kun. I like how you are now the best. You're already so amazing!" she announced with the sincerity that he liked about her.

"Thank you, Maika." And for the first time in her life, he smiled at her.

* * *

_Click._

_Clack._

_Click. _

"…"

"Maika, it's your turn. Stop bending over like that. Looking at the board sideways will not enlighten you. Also, you might pull the muscle in your waist by leaning with your arms folded because there isn't any support," Seijuro stated seriously.

She sat up properly, with a troubled expression on her face. "What's wrong this time, Maika?"

"I feel like…if I make one wrong move, I'll lose."

"You will lose."

"And that's why I tell you, one day, I will win! Take this, my super-killer shogi strategy!" She usurped the position of his Queen piece with her own Queen.

Seijuro analysed the board again. True, she was making miniscule improvements after every game, but it still amounted to almost nothing. "…I haven't anticipated that, but it's still within comprehension."

"Ote." He won the game without any further drama. "You failed again, Maika."

"Aw! Losing sucks!"

She stared at the board, replaying every move of the game in her mind. Ah, every move she made was a mistake. "I'd like to play again, but I was just wondering…um, Akashi-kun, why do you call me by my first name?"

Seijuro rested his head against his left fist. "Because I want to. Do you find offence in it?"

She shook her head roughly. "No! Of course I don't!" Maika wet her lips, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically shy. "No one has called me Maika except for my dad…" The shyness gradually faded away as she grew used to the foreign territory known as possible-friend-first-name-calling. "Haha, you're like my dad, Akashi-kun!"

"Don't go there."

"Huh? Why?"

He closed his eyes, trying to tolerate her. "Just…don't."

Maika watched him with curious eyes. "Okay." She fidgeted in her seat, readying herself to jump into unexplored territory. "A-Akashi-kun?"

"Yes?" His mouth curved a little in amusement. She noticed it right away—if he knew what she was going to say then at least help her out here!

He didn't. _Of course he didn't_. She tried to stop herself from pouting, but failed miserably. "Can…can I call you…Sei-Seijuro?"

Seijuro deliberately let the question hang in the air to tease the girl a little. Though she was way out of her comfort zone, she still looked him in the eye unfalteringly. He sighed.

She tensed.

"You can." And with that, her face burst into a blindingly happy expression.

"Then…then—" her mind whirled with possibilities, ideas and analysed how (maybe?) friends interacted with each other. Nicknames! Could she…maybe…?

"Sei-kun?" Maika gasped.

Seijuro blinked. "What is it?"

"Sei-kun! Sei-kun! Sei-kun is my friend now! Sei-kun, did you know? You're my first friend ever!" Maika threw her hands up in a celebratory pose, beaming at him.

His serenely blank expression didn't change. "Congratulations."

"Yay! Sei-kun, Sei-kun, Seeeiii-kuuuun!" Maika sang, bounding about the study.

"Maika, if you jump around like that—" He tried to warn her.

"Owie…" She had tripped over her own feet in her excitement and fell face-first onto the polished timber floor. It was just her luck to miss the soft rug to cushion the impact.

Seijuro exhaled. "…you'll fall…"

* * *

"Don't you think that Akashi-kun and Sorenji-san are becoming kind of close recently?" A girl asked quietly while casually twirling her thick black hair around a finger.

Her groupies collectively looked across the room to their far left. The pair was sitting together eating lunch again, talking softly and the occasional laugh from Maika could be heard.

A freckled girl spoke up first. "Yeah. It suddenly started about two weeks ago, Yumi-chan."

"I saw them go home together in the same car yesterday." Another girl said as she raised a hand to adjust her round glasses.

"She calls him 'Sei-kun', did you know?"

"Really?" Yumi asked absent-mindedly. She stared enviously at Maika's bright orange curls that tumbled along her back. "The coolest boy in the grade and 'waste of good looks' Sorenji…unusual."

"If we just looked at her appearance, she could be really pretty, and cool, you know?" the glasses girl commented.

Freckled girl chuckled. "That's only if she keeps her mouth shut. Her personality kind of ruins that 'cool' image."

"Hum." Yumi stopped curling her hair around her finger. She smiled. It did not reach her eyes. "Hey, girls…I've been thinking…"

* * *

"Sei-kun…I've been thinking…" Maika trailed off as she stared at the small green shoots of future sunflowers in the earth. She was crouched down, watching a trail of ants crawl across the concrete pavement near the school's greenhouse.

Seijuro folded his arms as he stood over her. "Really? That's a wonderful thing."

She puffed up her cheeks. "Hey! I regularly exercise my brain, you know? I've been thinking of naming Mr. Sunflower…wait for it…!"

"..."

He waited with the most lifeless expression possible.

Maika pretended he was excited on the inside. "Ryuunosuke! Mr. Sunflower, I dub thee all Ryuunosuke!"

"…Why?" Seijuro chose not to comment on her queer naming sense.

"This sunflower will be like a dragon, leading up towards the clouds to the golden sun, don't you think it's a wonderful name?" She blushed in praise of herself. "Oh, I'm such a poet! What a wonderful name!"

"…For a plant." He said drily.

"Yup! Isn't it?" Maika beamed.

"No." He walked away.

Maika leapt up, quickly dusting herself off to follow him. "Wait for me!" she called out.

He stopped for a moment, looking back at her. His gaze was indescribable: a sort of baffled acceptance.

"Hurry up."

* * *

**つづく**

* * *

**End Notes**

_That's it for today! I thought that it might be interesting if I parodied my own scenes and let the imagination and humour run wild in my own take of NG Shuu. Tell me what you think! Do you think it's too soon for Akashi to call her Maika? _

_Well, they're in primary school, so the importance of the first names isn't as strict as when children are older…I think. I also think that making Maika suffer is hilarious. She is unlucky at the weirdest times...a pretty awkward child as well! And to **Ninja99**: thank you for the review, it makes me happy that you like Maika so much...probably even more than I do! I never realised that she was acting cutesy until I saw your review, and then I re-read the chapter...and I realised that she WAS kind of endearing! :)_

_By the way, her motto is 'Carpe Diem': Seize the Day!_

_Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please stay tuned for the next one!_

_**Tollpatsch**_


	3. Stirrings

**オレンジ色の日々 **

_**Orenji-iro no hi**_

* * *

**ORANGE DAYS**

* * *

**Part One: Seedling**

"Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim."

― Nora Ephron

* * *

**Three: Stirrings**

"Ryuunosuke, you've grown so much!" Maika sniffled. The sunflower that Seijuro and her planted a few months ago had bloomed wonderfully. "You look so beautiful in the sun…"

Times flies when you're having fun.

Seijuro shuffled in his standing position over her crouched form. "It's going to rain soon."

"Eh?" Maika tilted her head back towards the clear, blue sky. Fluffy white clouds floated lazily above. "Sei-kun, you're the weatherman in secret, aren't you?" She looked up at him from an upside-down view, her long ponytail almost touching the ground.

"I know everything. Afternoon classes are about to start, so we should go now. Also, if you lean back any further—"

"_Yeowch_!" A faint thud as Maika fell on her back onto the concrete pavement.

"…you'll fall…" He helped her up. Luckily she hadn't hit her head again—the loss of brain cells would have her walking along the path of idiocy much sooner than he predicted.

Maika smiled brightly. "I'm fine!" She dusted off her navy blue uniform skirt.

Seijuro glanced at her as they walked back.

"I didn't ask."

She pouted again. "I was just saying it…to myself!" She walked faster, overtaking him. Looking back, Maika shot him a challenging look. "Race you back!"

She sped off.

And as he wasn't one who backed down from any challenge, even though he always won, he pushed off the ground to pursue her.

He ran, with the wind blowing in his face. He ran, his short scarlet hair flying back. Pumping his legs, he was flying faster and freer than ever before. He ran, his eyes wide, seeing the colours of his world brighten. He ran towards the orange-haired girl, drawing up next to her. Her face was flushed red with effort. Their eyes met.

"I win!" Seijuro whizzed past her.

"Hey!"

He ran.

* * *

"Okay, listen up everyone! I have your end-of-year Mathematics exams here with me. Come to the front to collect them from me when I call your name out," Miss Hanakawa chirped, her hands on her hips.

Maika shivered in her seat. She had a bad feeling about this test.

She smirked. "Don't worry, it's not in the order of your rankings. However, some of you will be assigned additional homework due to poor performance." The teacher stood up behind her desk, an imposing figure on the students.

"Akashi, come up please."

The orange haired girl blanched. _She lied! It was totally ranked!_

Maika sat, petrified to her seat. Her teeth chattered in fear of the dreaded moment. As fate had it, her test was the last one in the pile.

"Sorenji!" Miss Hanakawa had a frightening smile on her face as Maika rigidly walked up to the front. The red numbers stared back up at her.

_52 %. See me after school._

Maika groaned. The Law (mother), if she finds out…she'll be murdered!

"Now, I want to give you all 10 minutes to reflect on yourselves. Write a self-evaluation on how to improve, _if _you need to improve, understand?" Miss Hanakawa nodded seriously. "I'll being seeing the Chairman very quickly, so be quiet and do your work properly!" She exited, the door sliding shut quietly.

A moment of silence passed, before the room erupted into quiet chatter. Self-evaluation be damned!

The devastated girl trudged back towards her seat, the weight of the world on her shoulders. Every step was a step closer to death. That's _it_; her life was officially over—

A snicker.

Bright orange eyes widened, and she swivelled to confront whoever _dared_ to _belittle_ her. A black-haired girl leaned back in her seat, a mocking expression on her pale face. She was twirling a piece of her hair around her finger.

_How vain_, Maika thought.

"What is it that you seem to find so amusing?" Maika inquired quietly. Clear eyes sharpened.

Yumi flicked her hair behind her, _vainly_, Maika added. Her brown eyes glanced at the paper she held loosely in her hands. "That test was _so_ easy, you know?"

Maika smiled darkly. "Well, obviously I didn't. Is there something you want to say to me directly?"

Slightly miffed that Maika didn't rise to the bait as quickly as she hoped, Yumi took a different approach. "You're kind of stupid, aren't you?"

Now, some time or other, Maika would call herself stupid for not realising important things sooner, or Seijuro would tell her to stop acting stupidly and that was okay with her or The Law would scold her or her dear father but…never…anyone…_else_.

The quiet chatter amongst the class escalated to a playground level. And so the tense exchange between Maika and Yumi went unnoticed by many.

Except by one genius child.

Crimson eyes regarded the situation carefully. Seijuro cautiously watched the exchange play out from his peripheral vision. He examined how Maika's neutral expression shifted slightly. With interest, the boy noted the dangerous gleam in her eyes. He looked back at his own work, deciding to ignore the tension between the two girls.

_She can fight her own battles herself_. He had never seen her this incensed before, and couldn't hear the words being said. But he knew, from his constant analysis of Maika, that if she put her mind to it, she would not lose.

Maybe not even to him. _A dismal possibility. _Seijuro amended the far-fetched thought. _She'll be fine. _

He laid the issue to rest.

"What, cat's got your tongue?" Yumi goaded, taking Maika's enraged silence as submission.

Maika turned fully to face her. If she cast her mind back, this girl was Takeda Yumi, a classmate since Grade 3. She was the conventional looking Japanese girl, and would grow up to possess the 'quiet' type of beauty that Japanese women were famed for. She replayed the previous exchange in her head, quickly processing and evaluating all actions and words. Somehow, the way Yumi talked down to her…

_Ah. So that was it_.

"No, it hasn't." Maika smiled stiffly. _I'll give you a taste of your own medicine._

"Takeda-san, it seems the cat has your tongue attached to its gluteus maximus and has gone for a run around the world. Maybe you didn't realise because you were so busy conditioning your hair?"

Yumi had to commend Maika for adapting herself so well. She was surprised. "My hair is the best part about me. And your…most recent test results must be the best part of you as well. Unlike you, I work very hard for everything."

_(52 %. See me after school for your additional homework._)

Ouch. That insult kind of burned.

Maika clenched her fists, restraining herself from lunging forward and punching the living daylights out of the other girl. "You must have gone through hell and back…life must have been so hard on you." she gritted out.

"Hum…it was." Yumi leaned forward towards Maika. She pointed at her orange curls, obviously ridiculing her appearance.

She bristled. Yumi smirked.

_"Not that a little princess like you would understand."_

* * *

"What's her problem? She's so annoying!"

Maika punched the air with her left fist, pulling the right fist back to her waist as she moved. She reversed the movement, punching with her left fist in a steady, angry rhythm.

_I'm angry! Angry! So angry! ARRGHH!_

"Maika-san, you seem extremely fired up today." The Karate master commented as he checked her drills.

"I'm angry at someone right now, sensei!"

He sighed. The Karate master performed a gentle leg sweep, making Maika land on her behind with a surprised squeak. "Sensei! That…"

"You mustn't practice karate with such anger within you. What if you hurt your fellow students in the sparring session today?" The sensei reprimanded her lightly.

She gulped, realising her mistake. The girl bowed, her long ponytail flopping over her head. "I apologise for my ignorance and misconduct!"

The man patted her shoulder. "Tie your hair into a bun, Maika-san. It will get in your way. And go run around in the courtyard for ten laps. You need to cool yourself down."

Maika closed her eyes, ashamed. "I will reflect, sensei. And…I am very sorry!"

* * *

"Good luck to the Grade 6 graduates for their pending entry into middle school…ahem. For the years below, it is…ahem…it is an important occasion for all of you…" The Chairman of Gyosei Gakuen droned on and on.

She fidgeted in her seat. It was the end of school year assembly, and the ceremony had dragged on for far too long.

_I want to go home already_. Maika frowned. She sneaked a look at Seijuro next to her, who sat patiently with his arms folded. The boy had his eyes closed and he seemed to be thinking deeply about something. _The chairman's speech? _Maika guessed.

Nah. He was _definitely _sleeping.

Or in _really _deep thought.

But he had to be sleeping!

She was debating this issue internally so deeply and seriously, that she didn't notice that everyone was rising to stand for the final part of the assembly. Seijuro grabbed the starched white collar of her uniform, and hoisted her up to her feet.

"Huh?" she muttered dumbly. So he was awake? And why was everyone standing?

"Shh." He quieted her mumbling.

The assembly hall erupted into an excited hum of noise as students rejoiced at the thought of holidays…or cried because it was the end of their primary school days.

"It's over?"

Seijuro tugged the back collar of Maika's uniform again, dragging her behind him. "It's over," he affirmed.

"Holidays! Woohoo!" She threw her arms up. "Sleeping in, no homework, playing every day…what are you going to do in the holidays, Sei-kun?" She regained power in her legs to walk beside him. "Wanna go out to play?"

"…I have lessons."

"Even during our Shogi-time afternoons?"

A flicker of something indescribable in his eyes. "I'm afraid so."

"Awww!" Maika made a face.

"If you keep your face scrunched up stupidly like that, it might stay like that forever."

"EHH? Really?" She was so gullible. Sometimes he thought that making her fall for all of his teasing all the time was getting boring. Maybe he should stop.

But when her turned towards her, and saw her desperately trying to smooth her face out…

Maybe not. It was still amusing.

"…It kind of sucks, how you'll be busy during the holidays…I think I'll miss you very, very much!" Maika complained.

"Really?" Seijuro asked her. He had wanted to tell her something, but it could wait.

She smiled at him, totally carefree. The boy thought back to her enraged look just days ago, in the classroom. It seemed she had gotten over it.

Maika laughed. "Really!"

* * *

It was the first morning of the holidays.

Light filtered in the room through the white lace curtains. A small form lay sprawled out under pink blankets, deep asleep. Her long orange hair was splayed out messily on the pillow.

The door creaked open, and a woman in a high-quality beige business suit tiptoed inside the room. Her long, orange hair was curled to perfection and her appearance was immaculate. The Law quietly made her way to her daughter's bedside.

Upon seeing the blanket slipping off, The Law immediately tucked the sleeping Maika back in. Stroking her daughter's hair, she bent down to kiss her forehead lovingly.

"I'll be back soon, my darling Mai-chan," she whispered tenderly. Straightening up, she walked back towards the door.

Hiroto was leaning against the frame, dark hair slightly ruffled from a good night's sleep. "Leaving already?" he yawned.

The Law closed the door to her daughter's room silently (she had practiced). "I have a business trip to New York that will go on for about two weeks. Damn it…It's conference after conference after conference."

Hiroto walked beside her as they descended down the staircase. "You're missing Mai—"

"Yes, I know. I didn't want to, but I had no choice, alright?" The Law interrupted him tersely. Her idiot husband had struck a nerve within her body, and she had fought, fought to stay this year…this special year…

She slipped a small, wrapped box in his hands. The white ribbon was tied flawlessly, and he recognised the famous brand—Piffany & Co. printed on it.

"Hiro, please give this to Mai-chan for me. Tell her that mummy really wanted to stay—"

He pulled his wife into his arms, patting her back comfortingly. "I know you did, Ohana."

She tried to control her tears; she didn't want to leave them alone all the time. Always putting her work first, she felt like she had enough of it all! She missed Hiro, she missed her darling daughter…

But sometimes, a woman has to be strong enough for the whole family.

"I know."

* * *

"Wakey, wakey! Maika, time to wake up!" Hiroto sang loudly as he danced into the room, yanking the curtains open with a _swish_.

She groaned. "Ugh…"

Hiroto stood over her, a smile on his face. "Maika, it's eight o'clock already! And it's the first day of your holidays, don't you want to go out to play with Daddy?"

"What happened to…my sleep in…" she moaned in protest. Hiroto tried to throw her covers off her, but she unconsciously dug her little fingers tight into the material.

A game of tug-o-war ensued. And Hiroto won. "Please, Maika, I want to take you out today. I've already packed your things, and laid out your clothes on your bed…"

"Where's kaa-san?"

"Gone to New York!" he answered cheerfully.

"Mmmm…" She closed her eyes again, relaxing back into the embrace of sleep by curling into a little ball…

_Ding Dong. Ding Dong._

"Ah! The doorbell!" Hiroto hurriedly walked out of the room. "You have to get up, Maika!" His voice echoed throughout the house.

Maika slowly sat up. She blinked slowly, finding the room too bright for a Saturday morning. Stretching lazily, she rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I wanted to sleep in…"

* * *

"GOOD MORNING!" Maika yelled happily, throwing open the door to the dining room.

"Maika, if you're so noisy in the mornings, you'll disturb your neighbours."

She stood in the doorway for a moment, dumbfounded. Then, slowly, she beamed at the person eating breakfast at her dining table,

"Sei-kun!" She bounded over to him, ecstatic. "What are you doing here?"

He calmly drank the Tofu soup that Hiroto made in response.

Hiroto emerged from the kitchen, holding a tray of food. "Seijuro-kun is coming with us today for our overnight trip. I asked Akashi-san to let us borrow him just for this trip."

"Overnight stay? That's so cool!"

His daughter's eyes shined as she dug into the rice porridge with gusto. She eyed the shallots in the Tofu soup warily, but drank it anyway.

"Sorenji-san, this soup is very good," Seijuro said, enjoying the Tofu.

"Haha, glad you like it!" Hiroto laughed heartily. "And no need to be so formal—look, I'll call you Seijuro-kun, and just call me Uncle, okay?"

The red-haired boy nodded.

Maika finished her food hastily, impatient to leave. She walked over to the kitchen sink, carefully putting her dishes into the dishwasher underneath. "What are we doing today? You gave me these shorts to wear—usually I wear dresses and…"

Seijuro and Hiroto shared a knowing look. Maika stared, getting a bad feeling.

"Horse-riding," Seijuro said.

"And fishing," Hiroto smiled. "Don't you just love the _worms_ as bait, and _animals_ in general?"

She stiffened. Animals? Today's activities involved _animals_? She was already failing to get along with human beings, let alone _animals. _"You're joking, Tou-san!"

Hiroto grinned.

Her heart sank.

* * *

Seijuro usually went horse-riding in his free time, when it wasn't taken up by basketball or Maika. However, as he mounted the sleek black stallion, he felt that it had been a long time since he had ridden. He liked the feeling up high and how obedient the horse was.

He liked the absolute control he had.

"Can I get off now?" Maika squeaked from her caramel coloured pony. Its name was also, Caramel. It was an old pony, trotting slowly and steadily around the course.

"What are you doing, Caramel? What are you eating!"

Seijuro egged his 'Kuro' on, the strong horse easily moving farther away from Maika's shrieks.

"Daddy I want to get off!"

"Maika, you can't! Not until I get a decent picture!" Hiroto held up his digital camera with a baffled face. "I don't understand, you look like you're marching off to war or something in this one here…" He scrolled through the photos of Maika on the pony, falling into deep concentration.

"Who marches off to war on a _pony_?" she moaned.

Caramel seemed to recognise the hidden insult, and decided to stop eating the grass outside the fence to follow behind Kuro. Maika stiffened at the sudden movement.

"Woah! T-too fast! Slow down…horsie…"

"My gosh, horsie, when you do your business, you have to let me off first!"

"Yuck, it stinks!"

Seijuro couldn't take it anymore. This was beyond pathetic. He pulled the reins back a little tighter. "Stop," he commanded.

And Kuro stopped obediently. "You too, Caramel."

Maika sighed at the halt in movement. "Finally…" she exhaled.

Seijuro made Kuro manoeuvre so that he was facing her. "Maika. You need to relax. Drop your raised shoulders and stop panicking. Otherwise, the horse will sense your fear and exploit it. You will lose control."

She scrunched up her face, reluctant.

"Maika," he said again, an edge to his voice. "Do as I say, and _relax_. Take a few deep breaths."

"O-okay…" She followed his instructions. _Breathe in, out. In. Out._

_In. Out._

"Now, look at me. Good. Clear your mind, and focus on getting a good picture for…Uncle…so that you can dismount as soon as possible," The boy said steadily. "Can you do that?" This time, his tone was much gentler, and lost the commanding edge to it.

She stared at him, her eye wide. "I think…I can." _I can!_

"Caramel, let's stand next to Sei-kun, al-alright? Turn…" She lightly tugged one side of the reins for the pony to turn. To her relief, Caramel listened, and even parked herself next to Kuro. _Thank God._

Hiroto finally finished fiddling with the camera. He smiled at the exchange between the two children. Leaving Maika under Seijuro's care would never be a mistake. "Okay, you two, look over here!"

Maika closed her eyes for a moment, calming her frenzied heart. _Finally_. She looked at Seijuro, admiring him for…being himself.

He was amazing.

"Smile for this old man!"

"Cheese!" Maika shouted, waving at the camera with as much false enthusiasm she could muster.

* * *

She peered into the bucket, thoroughly disgusted. First of all, she disliked things with four legs and disgusting insects with more than four legs. And worst of all?

Those with _no legs_. They were the creepiest.

The worms wriggled and squirmed—their pink bodies writhing together…

"Yuck! I can't take this anymore! This is gross!" She quickly backed away, and sought refuge behind a standing Seijuro. The wooden boards of the wharf creaked a little as she made him a human wall between her father and herself.

Hiroto laughed. "Maika, don't be so scared—"

"I'm not scared!"

"Don't be shy!"

"I'm not shy either!" she snapped at him from behind Seijuro.

He hooked a wriggly pink…creature on the fishing line and cast it out over the lake. "Don't worry, fishing is an adult thing. You two won't like it much."

She tapped her foot impatiently on the wharf floor. "Then what do we do? Watch you fish?"

"Precisely!" He shifted onto a fold-up chair, getting comfortable for the nail-biting wait. Seijuro sat down on the edge, gazing out over the picturesque view of the lake.

The water was a lovely clear blue colour, and the forest surrounding the edges of the lake created small patches of darker blue on the lake surface. Dappled sunlight hit the calm water, making it glisten. Tall mountains, lush in forests, sat in the background completing the panorama. Anyone with enough patience to appreciate this view could spend hours sitting here, lost in thought.

"Look at this, Sei-kun! Handstand on the edge!" Sadly, someone obviously didn't have any patience whatsoever.

He turned his crimson gaze to the girl doing a precarious handstand on the edge of the wharf. Her face was flushed; all her blood was probably rushing to her head—

The boy sat up, slightly alarmed. "Maika—be careful!"

"Woah!" Her face contorted into a comically surprised expression as gravity pulled her down, face first.

_Splash_!

Hiroto slid his eyes to where the ripples were spreading over the still waters. "Ah. She fell in."

"She did," Seijuro confirmed. He narrowed his eyes at the spot where Maika fell in. "She should be surfacing now."

"By the way, I don't think Maika can swim," The irresponsible father said casually. He stood up. "A fish bite!"

Wasn't he feeling any sense of urgency at all? His daughter was most likely drowning in a lake, and this father was leisurely fishing! But somehow, the way this man was acting…

_I see._

Arriving at a decision, Seijuro swung his legs up onto the wharf. He quickly removed his shoes (they were his favourite basketball sneakers—and they couldn't get wet), his white socks and his red polo shirt.

He prepared himself to dive in…

"I entrust Maika to you, Seijuro-kun." Hiroto said to him quietly. The man was slowly removing a rather large fish from the line; his back turned from the boy. It seemed to be a light statement, but underneath it symbolised a new responsibility, and an acknowledgement.

Seijuro took a deep breath, and plunged into the cool water.

* * *

"Never….never again! I will never go near a body of water that is not a bath again! I thought I was going to die!" Maika announced, her voice swallowed by the tatami mats in their rented room. She was wearing the _ryokan_'s yukata, and she had been warmed by the hot springs, after excessive coaxing from her father. "Never! You hear?"

She punched the air theatrically, and was met with silence.

"Sei-kun?" The girl asked uncertainly. The boy was sitting at the low table, sipping tea from a mug. He was also wearing the same yukata. She bounded over and sat next to him.

Leaning in, she peered curiously at his stoic face, studying it. "Why are you…angry?" He turned his face away.

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are!"

No response. "See? You are, because you're ignoring me…" Maika leaned back, no longer in such close proximity with him. She tilted her head, a pensive look on her face.

"Ah, I think I know now…If it's about the drowning thing, then…I'm sorry, Sei-kun!"

_She's surprisingly perceptive._

He glanced her from the corner of his scarlet eyes. "You should have been more careful."

"…sorry…." She bowed her head, truly apologetic for her recklessness.

"At this age, you must have been aware of what you could and couldn't do. And what is dangerous and what is not." He lectured her, putting down his tea. "What if I wasn't there? You need to think about the consequences of your actions."

"I'm sorry!" Maika cried out, launching herself onto him. She hugged him. "Thank you, Sei-kun…And I'm sorry!"

He pushed her tearful face away from his with a hand. "Now that you understand, I'd like you to get off me."

Instead, she clutched onto him tighter, refusing. Her body trembled with emotion, and just this once, he let it slide. Begrudgingly. Even though he hated it when people didn't obey him.

Just this once.

* * *

**つづく**

* * *

**KUROKO NO BASUKE: NG SHUU**

* * *

"Cheese!" Maika shouted, waving at the camera with as much false enthusiasm she could muster.

_Click. Click. Click?_

Hiroto pressed down on the click button several times, but the screen remained black and the flash didn't light up. "_Ara_? What's wrong with the camera?"

Maika sat stiffly on her pony, bewildered. "What's wrong? Are you done? Can I get off now?"

"Ah! It's out of battery! Wait about fifteen minutes, I need to walk back to the car to get the spare!" Hiroto sauntered off.

His daughter gawked at his slowly retreating back. "Walk faster!"

"Oi! Tou-san! Faster!"

She sniffled. Caramel the pony whinnied. "…Faster! Please…"

* * *

**End notes**

_And here are the beginnings of tension, of the consolidation of a friendship…! My favourite part of this chapter was writing the conflict between Yumi and Maika. Haha, even though she stood up for herself, she still lost the battle of wits. What do think of Yumi, I wonder? _

_Also, I think that Maika's family have a huge influence in her life, so I decided to give you some insight into the family dynamic and what's going on underneath the surface. Anyway, treat this as a 'transitional' chapter, where I attempt to build up tension… the calm before the storm. Somehow, I try to plan out the chapters but some scenes just end up writing themselves. And Maika doesn't always listen to me...and I have a hard time writing Akashi- I get scared that he's not in character, or something. _

_Hmmm…Maika seems to dislike a lot of things: broccoli, shallots, all animals, swimming…I find that the list will get longer and longer…I never intended for her to be so picky, but since she's a child right now, she shall be forgiven._

_Anyway, things will be getting quite dramatic as I try to work out how to present clichéd plot devices in new and refreshing ways. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!_

_**Tollpatsch**_


	4. Imperfections

**オレンジ色の日々 **

_**Orenji-iro no hi**_

* * *

**ORANGE DAYS**

* * *

**Part One: Seedling**

Once in a golden hour,

I cast to earth a seed,

And up there grew a flower,

That others called a weed.

- _Alfred Tennyson_

* * *

**Four: Imperfections**

_April 1__st_. _It was the start of a new year, a new class, and new beginnings_. _This was the year that she began her affair with basketball._

The Chairman of Gyosei Gakuen had always been open-minded. He was an experienced man, slightly grey at the edges, but his mind was always as sharp as a knife. He had thought he was frightening man.

However, this man…this _parent _unnerved him. The handsome, dark haired man smiled devilishly. "So, what do you say, Mr Chairman? I have the cheque ready."

The old man felt beads of nervous sweat trickle down his weathered forehead. "Ah…yes, Sorenji-san. I will talk to the teacher who is in charge of the class arrangements."

Hiroto relaxed the pressure he placed on the poor old man. Even though he stepped down from his job as a Director for the Fujiwara Financial Group of the Tokyo Branch to focus on taking care of Maika, he hadn't lost his edge. "I want you, Mr Chairman, to ensure that _the both of them_ are in the same class until graduation."

He paused, pondering something. "Pull all the stops in group work activities, and assigned groups in field trips, and sport festivals. Everything. _Do you understand?"_

"O-of course!"

"And make sure Maika doesn't know about this, or she'll have my head for interfering with her life," Hiroto laughed heartily, leaning back onto the leather sofa inside the Chairman's office.

The old man sighed in relief. The ordeal was almost over.

"D-definitely, Sorenji-san. Now, about y-your…financial contribution to the new auditorium…"

* * *

"Even though Sei-kun is in my class this year…and when we're finally friends!" Maika grumbled. She slumped in her seat, sulking.

"Why is he on the other side of the room? Aw, he's even farther away than before..." She trailed off, disheartened at the distance between their desks.

They sat on polar opposite sides of the room. Maika was still next the window, and Seijuro had drawn the desk number (from the ballot box, seats were random) near the entrance.

"What a tragedy. Without Akashi-kun, you will fall into the depths of despair," the flat voice of her desk mate commented.

"And why do I have to sit next to _you_?" Maika hissed brusquely at Yumi. She shrugged in response.

"It's not like I wanted to sit with you too. Sadly, the number I drew out of the box was the closest to yours." She fiddled with her hair again. "You've ruined my day, Sorenji-_san_. That can be your first significant accomplishment."

Maika laid her head on her desk, facing Yumi. "Somehow…you really, _really_ have something against me, don't you?"

"You _just_ noticed? Wow…you learn new things everyday! It seems that on top of everything, you're dreadfully _slow_ at things as well,' Yumi remarked derisively.

"Why, you—"

_Breathe in. Breathe out. In. Out. She's just venting on you. It's nothing I can't handle. Tolerate. Tolerate. Tolerate. Channel my inner Sei-kun and be calm and mature. Be calm and…_

_BE CALM._

The angry fire in her belly burned itself out, and all Maika felt was mild annoyance at the constant attacks on her person. She closed her eyes, feeling the wood against her cheek.

"Oh la laaa…seems you've finally learned to ignored me."

_That's right. Damn you._ Maika clenched her teeth. _Tolerate. Her._

* * *

After learning to ignore Yumi, Maika realised that it only worked once. The black-haired girl had the ability to dig deep under her skin, and get her riled up enough to destroy any remnants of a good mood.

Yumi had completely obliterated any feelings of excitement Maika held for her lunchtime with Seijuro. Even the cherry blossoms in full bloom or the lovely, sunny day went completely unnoticed.

And so, she stabbed at the cute sausage wieners in her bento with her chopsticks as a weapon. Seijuro calmly watched her, a spring breeze tousling his fiery hair. They had decided to sit outside under the flowering trees, and 'enjoy' the outside. Excited chattering from other children ebbed and flowed past them.

"You are angry," he observed.

"Uhuh."

"With Takeda-san."

The mention of _her_ made her eyes twitch in annoyance. She swallowed her food angrily. "That's right."

He remained placid compared to her. "Why?"

Maika set her jaw stubbornly. "I don't like talk about other girls." She said hotly.

"I see," Seijuro said slowly, studying her. That type of statement was uncharacteristically adult-like for a girl so childish. He fell silent, contemplative.

He never brought up the subject of Takeda Yumi (or any other girls) again.

* * *

For things to make sense, the real reasons to why Takeda Yumi disliked Maika must be revealed. And so, we must backpedal to the days before Maika and Seijuro became friends, back to when she sat alone (when she was an awkward brat).

It was during that day in spring, one year ago, when Yumi first met Sorenji Maika. She, along with most of the other girls were inwardly celebrating their luck…_that_ Akashi Seijuro was in their class! He, the coolest, smartest and most mature boy in the grade…in her class!

Best. Day. _Ever_.

Just before class started, Maika walked in. She possessed a sort of quiet confidence; the sort that burned within her shell…and you needed a hammer to crack it. Eyes followed Sorenji Maika as she claimed an empty seat next to the window. As she walked past Yumi, who sat in the next line across, she caught a whiff of vanilla. _Must have been her hair_. Her bright, bright hair.

Yumi always kept an eye out for that orange hair, like most of the boys did, but she did it far more discreetly. She pretended she was looking for Akashi Seijuro, but most of the time she couldn't help but be curious about Maika as well. Not that she didn't stalk Seijuro with her eyes as well…but I digress, what's important is that Yumi might have held a sort of fascination with the other girl.

Maika shared her taste in novels, she observed. She seemed quiet on the outside, but Yumi felt that if she were her friend, she would be so animated, and all the feelings and energy bottled inside her would spill out, freely and passionately. Unimpeded. Honestly.

She knew this from the way Maika spoke, one time when she was called on to read one of Yumi's favourite haikus from _Matsuo Basho. _She liked her clear, honest voice.

"_No one travels_

_Along this way but I,_

_This autumn evening."_

"Thank you, Sorenji. You may sit." Miss Hanakawa said.

Yumi smiled to herself. Poetry was such a wonderful thing. Reading it, writing it was a cathartic release for her. It was an escape from reality and the painful things.

Her mother's tears that always flowed, and never stopped.

"_He's gone far, far away, Yumi. And he won't ever come back."_

Fading memories of her father, of his deep, booming laugh. And then, gone. An empty house, a broken family and the tape keeping the fragile bonds together had returned to nature. He had disappeared from the world of the living, his spirit haad made its way long across the River before they had realised it.

She would have to be strong, for her mother and for herself. Strong like that girl with the ever-curious eyes and the lustrous orange hair.

But, her intrigue, her (possible) admiration for Sorenji Maika shattered just as quickly as it had formed.

_Your mother is too busy to come for the Parent's visit._

_I understand, Obaa-san. _

_Make sure to act like a proper lady._

_I understand._

"Tou-san, stop it!"

Orange eyes glowered. Maika's face was flushed in embarrassment.

"But I wanted to take enough pictures to send back to your mother!"

The man laughed, ruffling her curly hair.

Yumi watched the exchange as she stood to the side. She was the only child who was alone today. Maika's father said something, and his daughter bristled, shouting loud enough for her to hear.

"I don't need you here! Go away!"

"Ah! Maika, wait!"

And Yumi watched jealously as the girl ran off, her father in hot pursuit. He was surely going to comfort her, shower her with love. He was there. _Alive_. And she had told him to _go away_.

Yumi felt her heart ache for the faceless man in her memories. All she had was how he might have laughed, and even that memory was quickly fading away. She turned away from the scene, and walked back to the classroom, embittered. She was dreadfully disappointed.

Sorenji Maika had it all. The charisma, the strength, the _life_. She had a father and mother, a _family_. She was alone, but who needed friends when she was intelligent and well-spoken and athletic? Friendship demanded equality, and the only person who stood on the same level was probably the even _more_ amazing Akashi Seijuro.

She was everything Yumi couldn't be. She was the embodiment of what she wanted to be. Sorenji Maika was a blessed child.

There was always a blurred line between admiration and envy. And resentment. Bitter, bitter, resentment.

_Over the wintry_

_forest, winds howl in rage_

_with no leaves to blow._

- Natsume Soseki

* * *

Seijuro and Maika stood next to each other, clad in their sports uniforms. The slight chill of autumn was creeping up, and both wore jackets to fight the cold. The class huddled together in the cold gym, and no-one was eager for this class today.

It was too cold.

"Um…the sports t-teacher…um...She's away today…um…so the girls and b-boys will be together for this…um l-les-son," A student teacher stammered nervously. He hated how the children looked at him, evaluating his worth and judging him as that weak, pushover teacher. He hated just the stares. And public speaking. And cold days. Sweet mother of—why was it so _cold_?

"I have a feeling that we'll play dodgeball," Maika whispered enthusiastically. She unconsciously held two loosely fisted hands up, in a readied punching position.

_No, you're actually hoping for Karate…something violent_, he thought. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his shorts.

The boy leaned closer to her ear to whisper back. "I don't think so. Look, the basketball hoops are set up."

She failed to hold in her giggles. "Oh! T-tickles!"

The boy blew lightly on her sensitive ears, making her choke on her laughter. Maika swatted him away playfully, snickering. "I'm ticklish!"

Seijuro pretended he hadn't heard her.

"…four teams, um…and, um…we'll be versing each o-other in, um basketball…um, the sport…the other two, um teams will do basket…ball drills, um…on the side…um…" His stutter seemed to have improved. A tiny little advancement.

"Oh! You were right, Sei-kun!"

He almost snorted at the suggestion that he might have been wrong. "I'm always right."

She looked at him disbelievingly. "Ah, yeah. Sure you are."

The teacher's first floated uncertainly in the background. "Um...your teams, um, will be based on, um, what number I will assign you, um…from one to four…"

"I am," Seijuro said firmly.

"…Okaaay."

"I am!"

"I know! I know, Sei-kun! I was just kidding!" Maika waved her hands in a placating manner. "No need to get all emotional on me. What are you, a _girl_?"

He sniffed haughtily. "I'm a _male_. Don't insinuate otherwise."

"Uhuh." Her bright eyes held a playful spark in them, challenging him. She threw the gauntlet of challenge to him. "Betcha that you play basketball like a pansy, too."

"Definitely not."

"Maybe I'll beat you on the court," she jibed further.

He scoffed at the impossibility of her statement. "In your dreams, Maika. You'll never defeat me in anything."

She smiled knowingly. "Even in wearing dresses?"

"Not_ that_, Maika."

"And—"

"_No._"

"Aw! You didn't even let me finish my sentence, you spoilsport!"

* * *

Breathe. _Run_. Dribble the ball. Make sure to get past their defence.

Breathe out. Keep running.

"Pass it to me, Sorenji!" Someone called. But they were guarded immediately.

She surveyed the court. She felt tired, but the adrenaline rush was addictive. She couldn't stop. Not when she was playing against Seijuro.

_I'll do my best against him. Even if I lose…_

No one was free, and she knew Seijuro was closing in on her. So she hurriedly threw the ball while at the hoop. A two pointer. _I won't let him steal it off me!_

It spun around the rim for a few seconds, and by a fluke, dropped through the net.

"Nice, Sorenji!" An encouraging pat on her back.

"Great shot, Sorenji-san!" A girl with glasses meekly said to her, before scuttling away.

Maika shot a triumphant look at Seijuro. He smirked back.

And she got the most foreboding feeling…

The red-haired boy breezed passed her easily. He smoothly wove his way throughout the court before making a perfect three pointer shot.

_Show off._ However, she still was in awe of his skill in this sport. She never had so much fun playing basketball against him. This gap in their skill…

Maika wanted to improve, to learn more about this sport that Seijuro was so content in playing. To improve himself, he said? Of course he must have at least enjoyed it to look so _alive_.

She wanted to know the real reason why he liked it, how he came across basketball… she wanted to _know_, know, _know._ Curiosity burned within her, engulfing her whole.

The tentative presence of basketball wrapped its tendrils around her heart, and she was captured. Though she was married to karate, the girl didn't mind having an affair…

…_With the basketball that Sei-kun plays. _

* * *

It was a cold winter's day when Akashi Seijuro dropped the bombshell.

"I'm going to Kyoto."

She dropped her chopsticks onto his desk with a clatter.

"It's for a series of functions that my family runs. I have to attend," he added nonchalantly, as if it shocking Maika wasn't a favoured pastime of his.

"Ah. I see…hey! You should've told me from the start!" She picked her red chopsticks up, waving them around in the air accusingly.

_Ah. Caught out_. "I did tell you," he bluffed very convincingly.

She blinked, searching through her memories. "Really? You did, huh? I must've not been listening…" Maika thought about it some more, unsure.

_Uh-oh. If you keep thinking back, you'll realise that—_

"When will you be back?" she asked him.

"I'm leaving tomorrow…so I'll be back in about a week." He elegantly placed an egg roll from his (high-class) bento box in his mouth. The boy shot her a grim look.

"Don't get into too much trouble."

Oh boy, oh boy…Seijuro could not have predicted the trouble that happened in his absence any…more…_right_.

The trouble magnet smiled brightly at him. "Impossible! I'm a model student."

Sorenji Maika just jinxed herself.

* * *

**つづく**

* * *

**KUROKO NO BASUKE: NG SHUU**

* * *

Maika set her jaw stubbornly. "I don't like talk about other girls."

Seijuro gave her an inquisitive look. "Why?"

She scratched her cheek, slightly embarrassed at what she was about to say. "Because I don't like it. I might…get jealous…and I don't like…sharing…" she trailed off as her voice became smaller and smaller.

He stared blankly at her. "Maika, you know…"

"…Yeah?"

"Not only are you socially awkward, you also become easily jealous and possessive." He folded his arms sagely. "No wonder you weren't able to make friends without the aid of your parents.

"I—um…that…" she stammered. "P-personal attack?"

Seijuro lowered his voice in a conspiratorial manner. "At this rate…you will never find the 'prince' that you always—"

She shook her head, wildly waving her arms around. "Stop it! Don't say anymore! I don't want to hear it!"

* * *

**End Notes**

_I always enjoy writing Orange Days. It's like a drug._

_I realised that, as they get older, Maika becomes more competitive with Seijuro. She challenges him more. This probably heralds the famed teenage 'rebellious phase' that every teenager has once they hit high school, or in this case, Junior High. Woohoo, she's curious about Basketball now! _

_So far, there has been lots and lots of foreshadowing. Can you find the clues? I'd love to know what you hope and what you think will happen next!_

_**Tollpatsch**_


	5. Lionhearted

**オレンジ色の日々 **

_**Orenji-iro no hi**_

* * *

**ORANGE DAYS**

* * *

**Part One: Seedling**

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

Walt Disney

* * *

_**Warning: Some disturbing content: mild violence, blood and swearing.**_

* * *

**Five: Lionhearted**

_Akashi Seijuro. Days absent: 1 (Monday)_

"Good morning!"

"Hey, did you watch last night's…"

"Morning!"

"And my mum said, it's normal for girls to…"

"Me too!"

"What are you doing this weekend?"

"It's kind of, you know…"

"Going out with my family!"

"I know, I know!"

"It was amazing, right?"

Her bright eyes flitted around the room nervously. Maika waited. She waited for the aimless chatter before class to include her. _Maybe, a miracle will happen today._ She kept waiting, feeling hopeful.

_Come on. Come on. Come. ON._

She tapped her fingers on her desk restlessly, trying to look like she had just the right amount of preoccupation: half busy, half inviting for people to approach her.

_Thud_.

Someone sat down next to her, and she turned towards them with a smile beginning to form—

"_Uwah_! You look miserable." Yumi commented harshly, starting today's barrage of insults for the war that was about to ensue.

Maika deflated, the disappointment evident in her body language. "That's because I have to sit next to you…" she muttered.

"You said something?"

"Er…nothing the likes of you need to be concerned about," Maika said absent-mindedly. She examined the ends of her hair, distracted by the dry texture. The girl had recently run out of her vanilla conditioner, and kept forgetting to replace it. This long hair was getting kind of troublesome.

But the really troublesome (mostly unlucky) things were only beginning to brew in the background.

* * *

_Akashi Seijuro. Days absent: 3 (Wednesday)_

It was a cloudy day when _that incident_ happened. The last raindrops fell from the leaves of evergreen trees, and the scent of rain freshened the air. Maika waited outside her house for Hiroto to reverse the car out onto the driveway. She shuffled on the spot. For once, she was early to leave the house.

"Rain really makes sleeping so much easier," she sighed contentedly. Today, the day started perfectly—

_Splat_.

She felt something wet hit the hair flowing down her back. Must have been a stray raindrop or something. Looking up, she watched the flock of pigeons fly overhead.

_Wait a second…_

There were no trees above her, and it wasn't raining, so where did it come from? The gears in her brain turned sluggishly, and her heart sank deeper and deeper. She watched the figure of the birds getting smaller and smaller.

_Oh my god. Oh my god. OH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL!_ Her mouth dropped open, and she was made acutely aware of the slimy, disgusting, stuff nestled within her hair.

"_Daddy!_" she screeched, running inside the garage. "I need some tissues, and shampoo and conditioner and a hairdresser! _A stupid bird just pooped on me_!"

The man in question had been dozing off in the driver's seat, deep in thought. His beloved daughter's panicked shouts snapped him out of it immediately. Hiroto jumped out of the car, panicked.

"Maika! What's wrong?"

She clutched onto him for dear life, her expression a mix of shock, disgust and panic. And then he saw the telltale greenish-white splotch in her hair…

Hiroto snorted in laughter. "They-they say that it's a l-lucky shot! Let's buy a-a lotto ticket-_haha!"_

"Don't laugh, Tou-san, it's _not_ funny!"

He stopped immediately, and reached out to ruffle her hair—

"Oops, maybe I –haha- shouldn't do that! Hahaha!" He guffawed.

Maika's eyes took on a demonic sheen. "Hairdresser. Now."

"You'll be late for school?"

"_Now."_

* * *

_Akashi Seijuro. Days absent: 3 (Afternoon)_

"Is that…Sorenji-san?"

"Wow."

"I always thought she looked like a doll."

"A princess, but now…"

"She looks refreshing, you know."

"How brave!"

The whispers circulated around the classroom as Maika walked to her seat. Hiroto had called the school regarding her absence from morning classes (he lied and said it was a doctor's appointment).

Yumi purposefully looked the other way, trying not to look curious at the reason for the commotion. However, she forgot one thing: Maika's seat was next to hers.

So she got the front row seat to Sorenji Maika's sudden image change. Orange hair, or lack thereof filled her vision.

The long orange curls Yumi so envied were gone. Lopped off in a flash, just like that. Now, the curls barely touched her ears, the waves swept off to the side in a boyish fashion. Yumi bit her lip.

_Why the HELL does she still look good without the princess curls? _

She thought of the days where she had that dreaded box haircut. Yumi remembered countless hours of checking her hair length, countless days of slaving over her hair to get it longer, shinier, and silkier than the girls who had prettier faces. And Sorenij Maika, this stupid girl, just…just…

Maika felt her stare, and since she was in a good mood (short hair felt so light, so nice, so fluffy!), she graced the surprised girl with a bright smile.

"Good afternoon, Takeda-san!" she chirped.

"_K-konichiwa…_your hair…"

The now shorthaired girl laughed darkly. "There was an accident involving birds and rain and a hairdresser…_kukuku_…"

Her strange use of words jerked Yumi out of her stupor. "Humph! Like I care about what useless things you do in your free time!" She crossed her arms haughtily.

"Haha…forgot that we're on bad terms," Maika murmured. She brightened at another thought. "Ah! But at least you can't call me a princess anymore, what kind of princess has short hair, haha!"

Yumi shot her a _what-the-hell_ look. "What an idiot."

"Hey! That was super mean!"

* * *

_Akashi Seijuro. Days absent: 4 (Thursday)_

Today, Maika had her eyes opened to the big bad world of bullying.

It was a normal day, not unlike the usual. Today, Hiroto forgot to make her bento and begged for forgiveness while holding out a ten thousand yen bill. She didn't mind, because today's cafeteria special was chicken schnitzel.

She would never complain about schnitzel. _Yum_.

But, today was different because she took a different way to the lunch hall. Maika took the road not taken. And it was there, in the shadows behind the gym that she found _them_.

Three boys, probably from the grade above. They were unfamiliar and bigger than her. And another smaller boy cowered against the wall.

"You said you'd do anything." The leader cornered the shivering underclassman.

"Right, _kouhai_?" Lackey #1 jeered.

"So, hand over your lunch money now." Lackey #2 demanded, holding out a hand.

The leader leaned in closer, menacing. "We'd spend it on more worthwhile things."

Maika was done appraising the situation. After all, it was actions that defined a person, not empty words, according to The Law (mother).

"You three! Hey, what are you doing?" She made her way towards them.

"_Huh_? The hell do you want?" Lackey #2 sneered at her.

Lackey #1 whispered into the leader's ear. "I've heard of that girl. I think she's Sorenji from Grade Five. She's ranked in the top ten in that girls ranking."

The leader nodded. "I see." _She looks pretty weak._

Maika stopped in front of them, hands on her hips. "I want you to stop bullying that boy. Extortion is a crime."

The lackeys made a face at her use of a complicated word. "As if! You should get lost and mind your own business, brat!"

She flinched in anger. "Brat? You're only a year older, so that makes you guys _brats_ too! You guys are horrible brats, so if there was a hierarchy in the brat system _I _would be a cooler brat than you pigs!" And the words tumbled out like water from a high pressure hose.

Leader bristled, stalking up to her with all the swag he could muster. "What the fuck did you just call us?"

"You bitch!" The lackeys chorused. Now, it was Maika who was surrounded. The bullied younger boy realised it was his chance to get away, but he stayed glued to his spot. Whether it was the remnants of chivalry, or the aftershock of fear, Maika had no idea. She didn't really care about it either.

"I called you _pigs_, you degenerates!" Offended, she yelled right back in their faces. Even Yumi never targeted her with such crude insults.

"Fuck you!" The leader roared, and charged towards her.

Maika saw him move, his raised fist coming towards her. She saw it coming. _Breathe in. Out. Calm yourself. _

Reflexes kicked in, and she let the sloppy punch hit her as she moved with the force.

"That'll teach you not to mess with us!"

She patted her bruised cheek. "You started it." Maika smiled dangerously.

Placing her hands on his taller shoulders, she jumped up and kneed him in the gut. Hard.

"Immediate K.O!" Lackey #1 trembled.

The trouble magnet stepped over the leader's unmoving body (don't worry, he's just in too much pain to move) towards the remaining two victims.

She beckoned them over with a hand. "Come on, you wimps! Give it your best shot!"

All this while, the bullied (forgotten) boy was watching with wide eyes. That day, a new rumour spread around the school like wildfire.

If you break the rules, _The Crusher_ will come after you.

* * *

Her book fell from her hands and landed on her desk with a dull _thump_.

Once again, Yumi was in shock. The idiot sitting next to her had this painful looking bruise on her right cheek. And she was grinning _madly_. What in the name of—she didn't have it before lunch! The time lapse was only forty minutes—what—why—_how_? And lunch hadn't even ended yet.

But man, she felt like crap today. Her chair felt strangely warm underneath her. So she stood up.

"Yumi-chan! Y-your skirt!" a strangled whisper came from a girl behind her. Yumi turned to look at the glasses-girl, confused. By the way, this was the same glasses-girl mentioned in all the other chapters.

"Misao? What is it?" Yumi asked Kitagawa Misao. The girl looked like Yumi was dying in front of her or something.

Misao messed up her short black hair in panic. She opened her mouth to scramble out a reply—

"Takeda, you're bleeding!" An insensitive male classmate pointed out.

"That's so weird."

"Did you injure your bum or—"

"No, you idiot! It's that thing that girls get when they…"

"Gross!"

Yumi blushed in embarrassment. She clutched the front, clean portion of the navy winter skirt. There must have been an even darker stain behind…

She felt her sight blur with incoming tears. "I-I…" _I don't know what to do! I don't k-know…This—if only—_

Her eyes darted around, and by chance, met a pair of curious orange eyes. Maika blinked, and peered at what was so interesting to the rest of the class.

Blood stain. Health class. _Idiot boys._

Maika stood up with a sigh. "All right, there's nothing to see here. Boys, go away and mind your own business. Girls, stop staring—don't worry, your turn will come. This stuff is _normal_."

"But we didn't do anything!"

"Eh? Sorenji—the hell?"

She shot the boys that spoke up a withering look, taking a page out of her mental Sei-kun book. "Don't be so disrespectful. Hasn't anyone told you that girls hate rude, persistent people?"

"S-sorry."

"What…he said. Sorry."

Satisfied, she turned to the girl behind her. If memory served her correct, this girl was probably one of Yumi's friends, or something close. "Now, Kitagawa-san?" The glasses girl squeaked a reply.

Maika gestured to Yumi's dirty seat. "Dispose of this in our incinerator, please. And the girls sitting around doing nothing, please help her."

"Eeeeeh?"

"But…"

Maika smiled coldly.

"I-If you say so..."

"We'll help! After all, most of us are in the same boat."

"Yup, leave it to us!"

They gently ushered the embarrassed Yumi away from her seat. Maika picked up the school sweater that Yumi had discarded due to the warm air-conditioning in the classroom. She tied it around the humiliated girl's waist, the back of the sweater covering the stain.

Prying the other girl's sweating hands off her rumpled skirt, she took one in her own and led her out of the classroom.

Maika smiled at Yumi comfortingly. "Let's go see the nurse, Takeda-san."

Yumi let out a shaky breath. What an ordeal that was.

* * *

_Akashi Seijuro. Days absent: 5 (Friday)_

When Maika entered the classroom in the morning, all eyes were openly drawn to her. She blinked at her classmates (who she talked to for the first time yesterday), confused at the sudden attention on her.

Silence.

"G-good morning, Sorenji-san!" Kitagawa Misao called out, nervously fidgeting with her glasses.

This triggered an onslaught of greetings.

"Morning, Sorenji!"

"Good morning!"

"Hi, Sorenji-san!"

"Nice to see you on time for once!" A cheeky boy said.

Maika gasped. "Hey! I'm always on time." She gestured towards herself dramatically. "I'm a model student, you know!"

"Sure, sure!"

"That bruise your face says otherwise."

The class, and Maika erupted into laughter. She beamed at them. "And a Good Morning back to you all!"

When she sat down, Yumi stiffened. She stared at her hands, feeling very nervous.

"_O-ohayogozaimasu._" She said, her voice very small.

Maika smiled. "Morning, Takeda-san!"

Yumi turned her sheepish face towards her, her gaze still downcast. "I mean, I'm sorry for saying all those things to you even when you, um…didn't deserve it…I didn't really mean to, um…hurt you…yeah," she said lamely.

The orange haired girl patted Yumi's lowered head gently. "Well, let the past be the past! And since you've apologised, you must be a nice person on the inside, Yumi-chan!" She beamed.

_Yumi-chan?_

Yumi's jaw dropped, as she was momentarily blinded by the 'nice-guy' smile from Maika.

_But—still, she's too trusting!_

* * *

Maika and Hiroto waited on Platform 6 for the _Shinkansen_ to arrive from Kyoto. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet, impatient.

The bullet train pulled to a stop, and out stepped a familiar red head. She hesitated for a moment, upon seeing the dark look on his face. But when Seijuro vanished, all traces of coldness vanished and was replaces by his usual passivity.

Time to act.

"SEI-KUN! I've missed you so much!" Maika pounced onto him right as he stepped off.

Seijuro humoured her, patting her on the back before extricating himself from her arms. "I understand, Maika, but there's no need to—"

"_Waaaah!_" She cried out, holding onto him again. "But—but…"

He sighed, but gave up struggling against her vice-like grip. Seijuro didn't really mind either way…anyway; he was too tired for putting up a resistance.

Something caught his eye, however. "Maika, your cheek…"

She smiled sheepishly. "Um, this wasn't anything big."

"You got into trouble again, didn't you?" His tired gaze acquired a sharp glint.

"Not…really—_Gah_ stop looking at me like that! I can't lie to you if you have that _look_!" _Ooops._ She shut her mouth.

"…Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Maika pouted, still being stubborn. "They now call me _The Crusher_, if that helps."

His stare bore deep within her heart. "You'll tell me _every_ single _detail_ later on."

"Er…sure. Later." She let out a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Hiroto greeted the bodyguards that accompanied Seijuro. "Good work, you all."

"Good afternoon, Sorenji-san. Akashi-san sends his greetings." A suited man spoke up.

Hiroto smiled. "Tell him not to work himself too hard." The man turned to his overly affectionate daughter.

Seijuro, that polite child greeted him. "Hello, ojisan."

"Hello to you too, Seijuro-kun. Come on now, Maika—the poor boy's too tired to keep up with you. Find him later."

"Aw, fine!" Reluctantly, she let Seijuro escape. _Phew_.

And as she bid her best-friend goodbye, she felt light and happy and like all things fluffy. Maika would see him later.

Definitely.

* * *

**つづく**

* * *

**KUROKO NO BASUKE: OMAKE**

* * *

_April 16__th__._

"Happy Birthday, my lovely daughter!" Hiroto slammed open the door, blaring an air horn as he did so.

"Ugh…Tou-san, stop that! It's too early in the morning," Maika groaned from underneath her covers.

"Nonsense! You have school today, my little darling! How does it feel, being eleven years old now?"

"Mmmmm…"

"Oh well…"

He placed a small, wrapped box on her head. Maika scrunched up her face. "Your mother wanted me to give this to you in her place. It's her present to you."

She shot up, the drowsiness gone. Hiroto snatched up the box to protect it from falling onto the floor. "Really? Can I open it?"

"Sure you can."

Maika tore open wrapping, excited. Upon seeing the gift, her mouth dropped open. "This…this is—"

"They're beautiful, aren't they? But don't worry, Daddy will choose an even better one next year; you know, diamonds—Maika? Are you listening?"

Two pale pearls sat delicately in the box. Sterling silver wove a flowery frame around each, and a tiny little diamonds were welded into the silver. She held one stud earring to the light. "How beautiful."

Hiroto ruffled her short curls. "And what's more, look at that." He pointed to the object sitting at the foot of her bed.

A bouquet of sunflowers.

She crawled over to the beautiful arrangement, and plucked the card sitting on the blooms.

_To: Sorenji Maika_

_Happy 11__th__ Birthday, Maika. _

_-Seijuro_

"Sei-kun…how did he know?" She breathed out, enthralled.

Hiroto ruffled her hair again. "Your class did a birthday log, didn't they? Of course Seijuro-kun would know."

_But he would know even if you _didn't_ do a class log entry._

Maika smiled warmly. "Sei-kun knows everything, doesn't he?"

* * *

**End Notes**

_Man, I plan the whole thing out and Maika just disobeys me! That stupid brat. I was like, don't get violent, I do not condone delinquent fighting, and Maika hits them anyway. The plan is always destroyed! _

_But that is why I made her so unlucky *laughs evilly*_

_I feel like she's growing up on me (cries), and by now I can see the maturing influence Seijuro has on her. _

_I think that's kind of cute. _

_Don't worry, this chapter was needed for character development. There will be much more Seijuro next time. And I tacked on some fluff at the end, because a chapter without any of the canon characters is too lonely! But I still hope you enjoyed this chapter :) _

_Next time will be the definite, last chapter of Part One: Seedling. Probably._

_**Tollpatsch**_


	6. Commencement

**オレンジ色の日々 **

_**Orenji-iro no hi**_

* * *

**ORANGE DAYS**

* * *

**Part One: Seedling**

"If growing up means it would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!"

― J.M. Barrie

* * *

**Six: Commencement**

"Sei-kun, I-I can't do this anymore."

"Calm down, Maika. It's the position that counts."

"But it's so…hard!"

"Your hands need to give it enough touch."

"How?"

"I'll show you." He performed a perfect three-pointer, making sure to exaggerate the movement for her to see properly. The basketball bounced back onto the empty court.

She ran back to him after retrieving the ball for another try. Maika halted her sad attempts at shooting after she noticed something. She had to look up towards him now.

"You've gotten taller, Sei-kun."

"Naturally. It's part of the growing process."

"Aren't you supposed to take it gracefully as a compliment?" She dribbled the ball between her legs with an acquired ease (because of Spartan training).

"I took the observation gracefully," he refuted her, not backing down.

"Uhuh. Sure you did."

Maika tried shooting a three-pointer, but the ball bounced off the rim of the basket. "Ah, stupid ball." She crouched down on her heels, rocking back and forth in a squatting position.

"I'll get it right next time…"

Seijuro stood over her, shaking his head. "How strange. Everything else is fine…but your shooting has made no progress at all."

The girl pouted. "I get nervous…"

"Oh? How so?" He sat down on the court elegantly, facing her.

"Like, it's not gonna get in—and I always ask myself: is it or isn't it getting in or how will it get in and…yeah, something like that," she mumbled, drawing circles on the ground with a finger.

Seijuro reached out to pat her head, his hand hovering hesitatingly for a moment. "Like I said before, you will, in time, be able to shoot well."

She leaned into his touch, finding comfort in it. "Mmm."

"Have I ever been wrong before?" Maika shook her head. She looked up into his beautiful, beautiful eyes. And he smiled back at her.

* * *

"Teiko Middle School?" Maika asked while flipping through a fashion magazine. She lay on her stomach on her bed, lazing about. Seijuro had managed to squeeze some time together with her in his busy schedule. And so, they were just chilling in her room.

"It's three stations away from your house," he said absent-mindedly, watching a Shogi match (between the Master and a challenger) on the plasma in her room. Hiroto had it installed a few months ago, saying that it was an incentive to get into a good Middle School.

"Hm. I don't get it, why Teiko?"

Seijuro sipped from a mug of green tea while sitting at the low table in her room. "It has the strongest basketball club. And it's quite an academic school as well."

Maika reached over for some rice-crackers. "You think I could get in?"

He looked back at her. "What do you think?"

* * *

"Look, look, it's Akashi-sama!"

"Sorenji-san is with him again."

"Akashi-sama is so cool!"

Yumi sipped on a carton of grapefruit juice as she watched the dynamic duo about to walk by her. "Akashi-_sama_? The hell is with that? And there are so many _wrong_ things I could point out…" she muttered, throwing an irritated look at the girls nearby who were whispering way too loudly.

It was a free afternoon today, as the school gave the students in Grade 6 more freedom to prepare them for Junior High school. More like giving them more study time. Yuck, preparing for exams was so boring.

The Seijuro-Maika duo was wearing their sports uniform, coming back from the basketball courts. Yumi relaxed against a tree trunk, feeling the grass tickle her legs. These days, they were always together. She remembered that this year, they could choose where they sat, and both had immediately claimed seats next to each other.

However, Maika still bothered her at the most random of times. And they were on first-name basis. Somehow. Weird girl.

She lazily watched the girl wave her arms around animatedly; retelling what seemed to be an exaggerated story. They were about to walk past her…

When Maika suddenly turned (she noted that her hair had grown longer, into a curly bob) and caught her eye. "Hi there, Yumi-chan!"

Seijuro smiled politely as he stopped with Maika. "Hello, Takeda-san."

"Akashi-kun, Maika. Nice to see you," she said coolly. "Playing basketball again?"

"Yup!" Maika chirped. She walked closer, bringing Seijuro with her as well. "Anyway, I wanted to ask you…which Middle school are you applying for?"

_Um._

Yumi had no answer to that. "I don't know. But since my mum got a new job, we're moving house—too much space in the old one…so I'll probably go to the school in the area."

"Do you know which one it is?" Maika prodded curiously.

"Not really sure."

"How about their uniforms?" _How persistent…_

"Eh? Even that?"

Maika nodded seriously. "Since we'll end up going to different schools, I want to keep in contact with you, Yumi-chan!"

Something about that sentence just struck Yumi deep in her heart. Maika, that gullible, impulsive, _kind_ idiot.

"The uniforms…are white and light blue, if I remember—"

Maika rushed forward and hugged her. "Oi, what are you doing! Why are you so happy?" Yumi grumbled, no spite in her voice.

Seijuro, who had waited patiently, spoke up. "Then Takeda-san, you must be going to Teiko, right?"

"Ah…yeah, the name was something like that. And they had a lame motto, I remember."

"Yay!" Maika cheered, still not letting Yumi go.

Seijuro smiled again, that swoon-worthy gentleman's smile. Yumi pretended that her girlish crush on boys like Seijuro didn't exist. Even though he had grown a little taller, and looked so—

"Maika and I, both of us are going there too," he said with a knowing smile.

Yumi snapped out of her daze.

"Wait. What? A _coincidence_?"

* * *

Maika rummaged through her bag, trying to find her bento. "Eh? Strange." Instead, she pulled out a few bills instead, with a sticky note attached on it.

_**Sorry! Please buy your lunch today!**_

_**From Daddy**_

_**P.S Eat healthy.**_

"What's wrong?" Seijuro asked from his seat next to her. She eyed his impressive as usual bento. _It always looks so good…_

The girl shook her head. "Nothing. I just need to buy my lunch today." She stood up to run towards the lunch hall.

"Don't wait for me, I'll take ages!" Maika called out behind her, dashing off.

Seijuro sighed. "She's like a hurricane. Comes and goes with a bang."

"_Itadakimasu_." He popped a piece of fried tofu in his mouth.

* * *

Maika ran, and ran…almost running other people over.

"Hey! No running in the hallways!" A serious looking class representative called out after her.

"Sorry!" She kept running, and reached the lunch hall. Teachers loosely supervised the queues to prevent injury from the 'Japanese Lunch Time Rush', so it was easy to spot the familiar black haired girl at the end of the line.

"Yumi-chan!" Maika called out, waving happily.

The slender girl turned at the call of her name. "Maika. Are you buying lunch again?"

"That's right. Tou-san said he couldn't pack me one today." She lined up next to her, smiling brightly.

A burst of rowdy laughter sounded out from in front of them. Yumi gritted her teeth in irritation.

"What's wrong, Yumi-chan?"

She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "They…pushed in, and they're so loud, and I can't tell them to move, you know?" Yumi lowered her voice so the group of boys couldn't hear.

This suited Maika just fine. If she got rid of them, she could have more time with Seijuro. So, being the impulsive person she was, she tapped the nearest boy on the shoulder.

"Excuse me." The orange-haired girl smiled.

_Oh shit. Maika, you IDIOT._

He was the biggest meanest boy. And Maika—that fool—is going to get _pounded_. "What the hell do _you_ want?"

Yumi broke out in cold sweat. "W-what are you d-doing!" she hissed at her, trying to save their skins.

Maika winked at her. "Don't worry, it'll be fine."

_It'll be fine—MY ASS. _Yumi paled.

"My good friend here," she gestured to Yumi—_Don't point me out, you idiot!_ "She said that you guys pushed in. So, please kindly line up behind us."

_Like hell he will!_ Yumi screamed in her mind.

The boy tensed. "Like hell I will! I oughtta—"

Another boy got his attention, panicking slightly. "That's S-Sorenji, you know. The one that's buddy-buddy with _Akashi_."

This time, it was not Yumi, but the boy that paled. "_That _Akashi? You sure?"

"Yeah, yeah! And she's _The Crusher_."

"The fuck? That skinny girl?"

"She took out those other guys who graduated…"

"Ah crap!"

Maika patted the sweating boy's shoulder lightly. "_Move_."

"O-of course!" The large group parted like the Red Sea. "Please…go through here."

"Thank you!" Maika waved at the rapidly retreating group of boys. "Ah—they ran away."

Yumi stared at her. "What just—I don't understand."

The trouble magnet laughed. "Haha! As I said, there's no need worrying!"

"…Hah…_sure_…" Yumi thought sarcastically.

Maika slung an arm around her amiably. With her other arm, she reached into her pocket, pulling out a shiny orange phone.

"More importantly, what's your number, Yumi-chan?"

* * *

...

**From: Unknown Number**

Subject: Lookie here I have a phone now!

Sei-kun, it's Maika here,

and I wanted to send a test message!

Teehee!(^_^)

_Sent: 1.52 am_

...

**From: Sei-kun**

Subject: Go to sleep

It's too late for you to be up.

It's healthier to sleep before 11pm.

Also, you woke me up.

I will punish you tomorrow.

_Sent: 1.56am_

_..._

Maika cringed at the reply. "Oh crap…" She put her (new!) mobile phone down on her bedside table. Yawning, she snuggled in her blankets deeper.

"Maybe I should skip school tomorrow, and he'll forget…"

The phone vibrated.

"Huh? Another message?" She reached over to flip it open.

...

**From: Sei-kun**

Subject: Don't get any funny ideas

I won't forget this.

Also, if you try to skip school like a truant…

I will find you.

And you can't, because Graduation is tomorrow.

_Sent: 2.03am_

...

"P-psychic?" Maika gasped.

* * *

...**  
From: Maika**

Subject: Hiya!

Congrats on graduating, Yumi-chan!

(^.^)

It's Maika, and I'm excited to go to

Teiko with you!

Yay!

_Sent: 3.52pm_

...

**From: Yumi-chan**

Subject: Thanks

Great. So excited.

Yay…

_Sent: 4.20pm_

...

* * *

"I have to make it!"

She ran like her life depended on it. Even though she was tired from the punishment laps Seijuro made her run, she drew strength from her willpower.

_The Special Limited Edition Karate Masters Magazine Sale! _Maika pumped her legs faster, desperate to get to Kino**nya on time. Her graduation badge was still stuck on her blazer's lapel, and she had bid a hasty goodbye to Seijuro and Yumi before rushing off into the city.

"_UURRRRRYYYAAAAAAAA!_" Maika could see Kino**nya, and people stared at her as she rushed past them. She didn't care; she needed to get there—

"Ow!"

"Ah!" Maika gasped, barrelling into an unfortunate stranger. _No! The Sale!_

She had pushed the person over, and made them a cushion for her fall. Several Japanese Idol magazines lay scattered around them. _They must be from the special sale at Kino**nya_! _All the more to get there in time! Now, gotta get off this guy._

_This guy has really dark skin._

"This frickin' hurts…" he groaned.

The girl blinked in reaction to his dark skin. "Africans speak Japanese?" she asked dumbly.

He shot her an annoyed look. "The hell? I'm Japanese—now get off me!"

Standing up, she dusted herself off. "I'm sorry. Are you alright? You look alright, so I'll just—"

"As if I'll be alright!" The boy, who she recognised also as a graduate from elementary also, had a badge on his uniform. "What if my mags have creases in them?" He muttered angrily.

"I said I'm sorry already, didn't I?" Maika retorted, bending down to help him pick up his stuff. "How fussy can you be?"

"I'm _not_ being fussy, damn it!"

She reluctantly piled the Idol magazines in her arms. _My special sale! NOOOOOOOOO! _ "Yes you were! Your precious, _precious_ magazines are fine, look!" No response. She turned to his crouched form.

"Hello? Are you even listening to me? I have your—"

The dark-skinned boy ran his hands through his short indigo hair. "T-the eggs! They're cracked!" He clicked his tongue. "_Kuso_, Satsuki's gonna be such a pain about it…"

"You had _eggs_?" Maika yelled, internally crying. _Goodbye, limited edition Karate Masters edition…_

She marched up to the boy, and gripped his shoulder tightly. She tried to telepathically convey her feelings of despair through the touch, but obviously failed because he wasn't showing any reaction. "Ouch, that hurts! How strong are—"

Maika stared at him hollowly. "Look, here, the cracked eggs are entirely my fault…so I'll take full responsibility. I'll buy you new eggs, so if you could come with me…" Her voice cracked. "I-instead of going to the sale…I-I'll buy it. The eggs…"

_My special karate masters edition! ARGH._

The boy perked up. "Seriously?" He jumped to his feet (_Wow, he's so tall!),_ and with scary accuracy, threw the plastic bag containing the broken eggs into a bin a fair distance away. "_Yosha!_ Knew I'd get it in."

Maika crossed her arms haughtily. _Hmph! Sei-kun could do that too. I'm not impressed at all…not impressed…_

"Wow! You got that in! That's so cool!" The words tumbled out anyway.

He nodded, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. "You got that right."

She sighed at his easily inflated ego. "Yeah, yeah…you're so cool. Let's go already. And I, this frail maiden, am carrying your magazines for you…you're such a gentleman."

The boy roughly grabbed his stuff off her. "You're the one that pushed me down! You should watch where you're going, Vanilla girl!" he groused.

"I can't help smelling like Vanilla if I used Vanilla-scented products…and why'd you sniff me, you _idiot_?"

_This girl…is so…_ "Che. _You're_ the idiot. And the smell was too strong."

"No, _you_ are. Vanilla is a lovely scent, thank you very much." _Did he just CLICK his tongue at me? _

"No, _you _are the idiot. And I don't care."

"The idiot is you, and that's final." Maika sniffed.

"_Hah_?" _I'm the one that suffered damage! _He felt so irked by this stranger.

"But I'll forgive you. After all, being an African in Japan, even in a global city like Tokyo, must be so—"

"I already said that I'm _Japanese_!"

And though they didn't know it, they would meet each other again. Aomine Daiki and Sorenji Maika, as well as the other famed Generation of Miracles. The Teiko days were fast approaching. The time of their lives was coming onto them, and the biggest breakdown of trust and friendship would follow soon after.

But, Maika was _born_ ready.

* * *

**つづく**

* * *

**End Notes**

_I think there's enough humour in this chapter. So no Omake this time. And AOMINE HAHA I bet you didn't expect that, right? I bet people thought GOM were going to appear after they enter Teiko…hehehe! Apparently, he's an idol fanatic, according to the Character Bible, and he's too young to be reading MA stuff, so I made it idol magazines. _

_Ah, I love exploring the dynamic between characters. I thought that based on their personalities, Maika wouldn't hit it off with Daiki, because they both say what they're thinking impulsively, and neither have the people skills (like Seijuro) to avoid conflict. *laughs evilly* Hm, I wonder if I got Daiki's personality right…he's generally nicer than the high-school version, so I came up with THIS._

_And this concludes Part One: Seedling! Even though I promised more Seijuro…well, there was, but…um…yeah…Still hope you enjoyed this chapter!_

_The chapters should get longer for Part Two: Sprout. And so, see you next time!_

_**Tollpatsch**_


	7. Idling

**オレンジ色の日々 **

_**Orenji-iro no hi**_

* * *

**ORANGE DAYS**

* * *

**Part Two: Sprout**

"Chance encounters are what keep us going."

Haruki Murakami, _Kafka on the Shore_

* * *

**Seven: Idling**

…..

**Sent to: Sei-kun , Yumi-chan**

Subject: LATWE

SlepT in, miss my bus

stUpiD construcTion wrk

nearby. So will miss

ENtrance cEREMONY.

REALLY WANTED TO SEE

SEI'S SPEECH (T_T)

_Sent: 8.12am_

...

_Maika…that girl…_

Seijuro flipped his phone shut before telling the driver to stop a few streets away from Teiko Middle School. Hurriedly stepping out of the dreadfully flashy limousine, he turned at the driver calling out to him.

The driver scrambled out after him, adopting a respectful standing position. "Are you sure you're alright with getting off here?"

He'd already had enough of his father's babying. "Yes." Seijuro frowned. "Also, after today, don't fetch me to or from school anymore," he added, annoyance creeping into his tone.

"Even if you say that…" The driver tried to convince him otherwise, nervous to face his employer's discontent. "I was told by your father to see you off at the school gates…" the man trailed off.

Seijuro turned away. "My father has nothing to do with this." He thought of all the other students who had the liberty of doing anything they wanted with their lives, and of his rigid schedule of lessons and loneliness.

"Doing something like this every morning makes one stand out. People will laugh."

He was through with it all. He was done with this _control_ over his life. The boy walked away. "…At least let me have my freedom at school."

"Ah, but—"

Teiko Middle School, this was where it will start.

* * *

_Almost there!_

The girl skidded around a corner like a drifting racecar, short (bob cut!) hair flying behind her. She sped towards the school gates. _Stupid alarm clock, stupid bus, stupid construction! Made me miss Sei-kun's inspirational speech and class assignments and this is one of the worst days _ever_. _

Maika looked up at the school's clock and it read—

"8:50. Mai, is this a bad habit that Akashi-mama forgot to stamp out?" A slender, pretty girl stepped out from behind the gates, her hair groomed to straight perfection. Yumi shook her head mockingly. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. You naughty girl."

"Sei-kun…is _not_ my mama," Maika shot back, dishevelled and slightly out of breath from the continuous sprinting she had to do that morning. "He's _your_ mama."

"Shut up. We both know that's a lie." The other girl gave her a once over. "And that skirt length—are you a nun or something?"

Maika was surprised. "_Hah_? On the website, the rules said 'knee-length skirts are advised'!"

Yumi flicked her hair behind her. "Rules are made to be broken," she quoted, gesturing to the short length of her skirt pompously. "…Anyway, since when did you follow the rules so loyally? Look at your pearl studs, you rebel."

"You think they look good on me?" Maika smiled.

"Hm. They suit you…I wonder which amazing person was it that suggested you to pierce your ears?"

"You!"

Yumi elbowed the laughing girl. "That was a rhetorical question. Mai—you _nun_."

Maika pouted. "Stop teasing me about it…L-long skirts leave room for the imagination! And I like it this way!"

"Yeah, yeah…sure," Yumi dismissed her with a wave.

They walked off together, trying to stick in the shadows of buildings lest a teacher found them.

Maika fidgeted for a moment before asking the million-dollar question. "So…the classes…"

"You want the good news or the bad news first?"

She didn't hesitate at all. "Good news!"

"…You and I are in the same class. 1 – G."

"Yay!" Maika cheered loudly. "And Sei-kun?"

Yumi patted her shoulder comfortingly. "That's the bad news. Akashi-kun…he…he's in 1 – A."

The taller girl (that's Maika, by the way) gasped. "No way."

"_Yes _way."

"On the other side of the building?"

Yumi gave the dreaded affirmative. Maika shook her by the shoulders. "How am I going to _live_ without Sei-kun?" Yumi hid a smile. _How sweet—_

But Maika spoiled the effect of the touching statement by not shutting up at the right time. "Who's going to let me copy their homework, wake me up in class and help me get through life?"

_Forget him being your mama—he's more like your caretaker!_ "You're being too dramatic! You—_would you stop shaking me_—can see…him during your…breaks!" The black-haired girl pinched Maika's cheeks. "And those kind of things, you should be able to do yourself! Grow up already."

"Owieee—itsh hurtshs!"

"So you have to—" Yumi began, but she was cut off. A teacher had found them.

"You two first years! What are you doing, missing the entrance ceremony!" And the woman scolded them until students began to pile out onto the corridors. Even though they attracted attention, neither was fazed. Yumi had adopted a blank, (kind-of) obedient expression while Maika's mind wandered away right as the scolding began.

_I wonder what's for lunch today…I'll visit Sei-kun and then tour the school and then I'll—OUCH Yumi-chan that _hurts!

"…I do not want to see this again, or you will be disciplined for fractional truancy. Now, go to class."

"…Yes, Sensei." They chorused after Yumi pinched Maika's arm.

Walking to the classroom, Maika was still curious about something. "So, you were late too? Or maybe…you were waiting for me, Yumi-chan?"

"Of course not! _No_ to both! I-I…told the teacher I had cramps, okay?" Yumi was being cutely dishonest again.

Maika slung a friendly arm around her shoulder. "Sure, sure! I'm glad you came for me."

"I didn't! I had cramps, really!" she grumbled, an embarrassed expression on her face.

Sure, Yumi. _Sure_.

* * *

Maika sat slumped over her desk as the teacher rambled on a tangent. She couldn't fall asleep last night because she was too excited for school. Who knew that Junior High lessons were even _more _boring than primary school?

It was okay—she'll just read the books and do the homework and she'll be fine.

She twirled her pen around her fingers dexterously, bored out of her mind. _Can't something interesting happen? I need excitement to spice things up a—_

A crumpled note landed on her desk. Maika looked at Yumi sitting next to her, who seemed nonchalant (and looking at the doodles in her textbook, she was bored as well). Yumi's gaze slid to hers. _Read it, _she mouthed.

_**Let's go on a hottie hunt later. What's your type?**_

_Seriously, Yumi-chan…_ Maika shook her head, grinning. She wrote a reply in her notebook, and put it on the right side of her desk so Yumi could read it easily.

_**I need to go to Sei-kun at lunch.**_

_**But, FYI, I like boys who read books. Smarties.**_

_**Quiet on the outside, but passionate inside.**_

_**Gentlemanly and refined.**_

_**You know, the mysterious, serious, class president type ;P**_

_**You?**_

Yumi cracked a smile at Maika's ideal man.

_**HAHA. That type is **_**really**_** rare.**_

_**But, I see the appeal! Totally!**_

_**We have similar tastes. :D**_

_**But, don't you think tough guys who are huge softies **_

_**on the inside…that's pretty attractive.**_

_**And looks would be a bonus.**_

The orange haired girl scribbled a reply, paused, crossed it out and rewrote something else.

_**That type is cool too!**_

_**And my mum says to never **_

_**trust handsome guys.**_

_**They might turn out to be players.**_

Yumi giggled softly. _True, so true. Wise words from your mama. _

"And what, may I ask, are you doing in my class?" the teacher's voice rang out.

The girls jumped in their seats.

"I-I was resting my eyes, Sensei!" A male classmate answered nervously from a few rows in front of the pair.

"_You were sleeping!_ _In _my_ class! Is it that boring, _huh?_"_

"I'm s-sorry!"

The whole class tried to stifle their laughter, lest they became the next victims.

"Close," Yumi whispered, surreptitiously flipping to a blank page. Maika did the same, shooting her friend a peace sign.

They tried to hide their grins from the teacher on a rampage.

* * *

"Hey, hey—it's true that the girls at Teiko are beauties."

"The seniors, definitely!"

"And some first years, you know."

Seijuro kept writing, ignoring the chatter from hormonal boys about to hit puberty. He aimed to finish the rest of his homework in five minutes, so he could focus on the basketball tryouts tomorrow. Not that he was nervous or anything. Never.

"Momoi Satsuki, the girl with the _really big_—"

"—personality!"

"_So_ true."

"Haha, yeah…sure, sure."

"And there's the _yamato nadeshiko _in class 1 – G."

"Takeda…Yumi? Wasn't there another one, the doll-face…with the long skirt…"

"What was her name again?"

"Sorenji Maika!"

"Yeah, I saw those two getting yelled at by the hag."

"Ooh…so she's _naughty_—"

"_Ppffffttt_!"

"She's totally my type!"

Here, the chattering lowered to mere whispers. "…when in…undo her…erotic…"

"…push her down…hahahaha!"

Seijuro paused, feeling slightly scandalized at the perverted direction his classmate's conversation was going. He had to admit that he leaned more to the conservative, old-fashioned side of thinking. This type of talk was unsightly, and not dignified at all.

_And besides, if you pushed Miss Black Belt down against her will, she'd absolutely crush you, _he thought.

The door slid open, and in walked Maika. _Speak of the devil, and she shall appear._

The whispering came to a halt, the group of boys casting glances in her direction. Maika looked around, and smiled when she spotted Seijuro's red hair. Female classmates who had an eye on Seijuro also sized her up when she began walking to his desk.

"G-girlfriend?"

"Aw…damn it."

"Akashi sure works fast." Seijuro's eye twitched at that offhanded comment. _You've gotten it _very_ wrong._

"But it's only the first day of school!"

Maika wasn't as observant as Seijuro, so her selective hearing censored out anything she had no interest in.

"Hiya, Sei-kun!" she trilled. Pulling up a chair to sit at his desk, she easily invaded his personal space (something none of his female classmates dared to do).

The class, as a collective group, were shocked. _Sei-kun?_

"Maika," he acknowledged her.

Several mouths dropped open. _First name basis! _They strained their eyes and ears to listen might lead to weeks of gossip-worthy material.

Sighing, Maika rested her head in her arms and slumped over. "I feel so bummed out. And I really wanted to see you make that speech."

"I was given a template to speak from, so it wasn't that interesting."

"But still…Anyway, Yumi-chan and I, we got caught skipping the ceremony."

He smiled at the thought of the scolding they would have gotten. "I heard about that."

"You did? Wow…news travels really fast in this school." She looked up at him. "So…are you going to join the _super _strong, _world-acclaimed_ basketball team?" The sarcasm was evident in her tone. Maybe Yumi was rubbing off on her a bit _too _much.

"Hm, of course. Tryouts are tomorrow."

"Wow, tomorrow? How many levels in the club are there?" She propped her head up on a hand.

"Three strings of players. Apparently, no freshman have ever made it to first string or the regulars." It felt kind of exciting.

Maika laughed at the possibility that he might fail. "Well, you can be the first freshman regular!" Her absolute confidence in his abilities shone through, making her eyes twinkle cheerily.

Seijuro's lips curled into a knowing smile. "We'll see. Whether this year will make history."

* * *

…..

**Sent to: Maika**

Subject: Basketball tryouts

I made it to the first string.

And so did four other freshmen.

Quite interesting, isn't it?

_Sent: 9.17pm_

...

**Sent to: Sei-kun**

Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!

I kind of expected it,

but CONGRATULATIONS!

YESYESYESYESYESYES!

(^o^)!

I'm so happy!

_Sent: 9.19pm_

...

**Sent to: Maika**

Subject: Thank you

Come watch the games.

Thank you for your support.

_Sent: 9.32pm_

...

* * *

It was a few weeks after the stressful basketball tryouts when she met him. Apparently, those who were unsuccessful had a second chance today, a month after the original aptitude test. Maika noticed the tense atmosphere among many of the basketball hopefuls throughout the day.

_What a stressful Friday—a traumatic start to the weekend. Glad it's not me._

Maika lazed about on a bench under the shade of a few large maple trees.

She didn't want to go home either. Hiroto started to work more and more, saying that they'll need to build up the funds for her university education and the future.

Home was empty and dark and lonely. At least there were people at school.

Seijuro was at basketball-training every day, Maika thought sadly. "Long live the Going-home club," she muttered, looking up through the green foliage and enjoying the feeling of dappled sunlight on her face. _Nothing to do anymore…_

"You look very free, first year student," a voice commented.

Maika straightened into a more lady-like position immediately. "Ah, Good Afternoon, Sensei."

The teacher, he must be a coach, maybe (he had a whistle around his neck) smiled good-naturedly at her. "Mind helping me with something?" he gestured to the large netted bag of basketballs in his hand. "I need to get back to coaching, so it'd be great if you put this away in the equipment storage room."

"Sure, Sensei." She stood up, taking the cargo. "Which gymnasium?"

"The third one. Thank you, you've helped me out a lot."

"That's alright. Bye, Sensei!" Maika walked off, happy that she was moving about doing _something_.

She decided to take the scenic route. Walking across the gym steps, Maika gave herself a mental pat on the back for the extra time wasted…when…she…tripped. Over something invisible.

"Oof!" She landed on her behind rather painfully, and her cargo had rolled out of the loose net, basketballs bouncing everywhere. "That _hurt_…ouch."

"Sorenji-san? Are you okay?" Someone helped her up gently. She felt a chill run down her spine. _Since when were they here? I heard and saw no-one!_

A boy with azure hair watched her internally panic. "Sorenji-san?" he asked tiredly. He had been moping about the steps of the gym after puking his guts out from the harsh practice regime.

Maika stared back at him, trying to conjure up a name to go with his face, but nothing came up. "Do I…know you?"

"I'm your classmate, Kuroko Tetsuya. Also, I sit next to you," Tetsuya answered softly, feeling fatigued. He began to sway on his feet.

She cast her mind back to today's lessons. _If my memory serves me correctly…it's Yumi-chan on my right…and an empty seat…on my…left? _While lost in thought, Maika steadied him with a hand on his pale, skinny stick of an arm.

_Wow. There's barely any muscle. He's so fragile. _

"Really? You…sit next to me? Oh...how come I never noticed you?" Strange. This boy was invisible! And delicate…like a girl.

At this, Tetsuya looked even gloomier than he did before. "…I have a lack of presence." He picked up a stray basketball at his feet, staring at it intently. _And a lack of talent for the sport I love. _

She noticed this change in demeanour, being perceptive at the most random of times. Leaning closer, she examined the abnormally pale colour of his face. "Are you okay, Kuroko-kun? You don't look well."

At this statement, he seemed even more downcast. And when he was down in the dumps, he became more talkative (a weird trait of his). "Basketball training takes a lot out of me. At this rate…I might never…" _Never make it. _

A short silence followed. His eyes drifted to the abandoned mess of basketballs around them, drawn to them like a moth to light. An invisible moth, Maika thought he was. Kuroko Tetsuya veiled his feelings that kept him standing, that kept him playing and playing. He was…was like water. He was the still pond water that ran deep. The more you slap your palm onto the surface, the more it retaliates.

She had never met someone so different from her and yet so similar. A paradox. "Well then," she patted his shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"You probably don't want to hear this from a stranger…but keep playing, and do whatever you can and whatever you want," Maika scratched her cheek awkwardly. "I mean…yeah, I think that's what I meant," she finished lamely, gathering up the scattered cargo in a flash.

"See you around, Kuroko-kun!"

He watched her jog off, her figure fading into the distance. Weird girl.

* * *

**つづく**

* * *

**End Notes**

_And Kuroko comes into the scene! The main character, woot woot! To be truthful, I was cringing when I was writing this scene…ARGH._

_But I love how everyone is thinking that she's weird. Anyway, I'd love to hear from you all! See you next time._

_**Tollpatsch**_


	8. Idiots

**オレンジ色の日々 **

_**Orenji-iro no hi**_

* * *

**ORANGE DAYS**

* * *

**Part Two: Sprout**

"I feel the need to endanger myself every so often."

― Tim Daly

* * *

**Eight: Idiots**

Maika had no idea how she ended up like this. Gripping onto the edge of a wobbly diving platform, hanging ten metres in the air with a watery doom awaiting her below.

Was this karma for doing _that_ to Seijuro? No way. He wasn't God, right?

"I REPENT!" she cried to the sunny heavens. "I'm sorry!"

"What are you yelling about up there for? Just let go already!" Yumi shouted from the edge of the pool.

She clenched her teeth. "No way! I can't swim!" Her heart pounded loudly within her chest, almost falling out. She hated this, hated this, hated this!

Her sweaty palms caused her grip to slip. Gravity claimed her immediately, aiding her plummet down, down, _down._

The girl reached up, only to grab air.

_Fuck_.

* * *

Unaware of her impending doom, the ignorant orange girl was dozing off when class ended for lunch. Warm sunlight that filtered in through the window was so soothing, so relaxing…

Until someone slammed their hands down on her desk. "Wake up!" A cold hand pinched her cheek. Hard.

"Ousch! Whatsh shdo shyou wantsh, Yumi-shan!" She rubbed the red blotch on her face, trying to ease the burning prick of pain.

"We have an emergency—I've waited long enough…I have to tell you now!" Yumi looked at her desperately.

Maika straightened, serious. "What's wrong?"

Yumi leaned in, a crazed look on her face. "Two words: hottie hunt. You in or out?"

And she thought it might have been something important. "Eh? Now?"

"Now!"

"…I don't feel like it."

The standing girl pointed an accusing finger. "But-but…you promised me! Come on, Mai…let's go! I need to check someone out!" Yumi slapped her poor, abused desk repeatedly.

"Fine, fine…keep your panties on…you're too excited this early in the morning!" Maika heaved herself up to her feet with great (exaggerated) effort.

"…It's noon, Mai."

A quiet boy who sat next to Maika watched her get towed away by another girl. He blinked his sky blue eyes, pausing for a moment before going back to nibbling at a ham sandwich.

* * *

Yumi entered the fateful classroom, standing at the fringes of a large congregation of squealing females. Seeing the object of their affection, she nodded approvingly. Golden hair, golden smile…Kise Ryota was a golden boy.

She folded her arms, pretending to be unperturbed while in close proximity with such a golden boy. _Seeing Akashi-kun all the time has allowed me to develop a resistance to good-looking boys. _

"Haha, you're so funny!" Ryota laughed at something a fan said (cutely).

She almost died from the sparkles—he was shining, he was _fucking shining_.

_I take that back—I need to train myself against these beautiful freaks of nature! Resist, resist! _Something cold was pressed against her blushing cheek before Maika's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Your grapefruit juice. I can't believe that you like this. That sour stuff tastes like—"

"I like this bitter taste because I'm a bitter person, Mai," Yumi sniffed. "And if you want to talk weird tastes, you're the one that likes Chilli Oil Tomato chips."

"Touché," the orange girl grumbled.

Maika stuffed her mouth with a generous portion of her chicken schnitzel jumbo burger. She chewed slowly, making a hand signal to Yumi.

_Location: _ikemen?

Yumi signalled a reply. _Look near window, boy._

Maika swallowed quickly, nearly choking herself. "That purple guy is super tall even when he's sitting, wow!" Her eyes zeroed in on the mountain of snacks on Murasakibara Atsushi's desk. "And those flavours are the best…but he doesn't seem to be your type—owish whatsh nowsh?"

Yumi let go of Maika's abused cheek. "The _other _window, idiot!" She used a hand to turn Maika's head in the golden boy's direction. "That's Kise Ryota, he works as a model," she added knowledgably.

"Woah, you're right. His face is so pretty…like a girl!" Maika was in awe.

"I don't know whether you're complimenting him or not…"

"But isn't he too…flaky? Like…I don't know, but why him?"

The other girl smirked. "Well, imagine if he had a pair of glasses on, and lost that frivolous smile…what do you get?"

"A super mysterious class president glasses type!" Maika grinned, nodding proudly. "Yumi-chan, you genius!"

Yumi nodded, her face glowing from the praise. "The great Yumi-sama—"

"Ah! Isn't that Sorenji-san?" A boy called out, encouraged by his group of friends. They sat behind Ryota, silently hoping for some attention from the girls.

"Takeda-san is with her too! Hi there, whatcha need from our class?"

Yumi scoffed at the display. _How shameless, I would never—_

"Hiya!" Maika waved back cheerily.

"You know them?" Yumi whispered to her irately.

"Not really, they helped me open the storage room when it was locked. Members of the basketball club, I think."

_Basketball club…hmmm_. Her brain whirled with possibilities.

"Sorenji-san, I have an extra box of Chocolate pocky, do you want some?" Another brave soul offered bait to lure her in.

A tall, purple giant perked up from his binge eating and stared at the prized pocky a few desks away. Measuring the distance with his eyes, he decided he wasn't bothered to trek all the way for pocky. _Too troublesome._

"As if that'd work, idiot."

"Dunno, I wanted to give it a try."

"And that's why you can't get a girlfriend."

But to everyone's surprise (especially Yumi's), Maika fell for it. "I love all pocky, is it really okay for me to have some?" she briskly walked over to them, pulling up a chair to sit among them.

"Seriously? Che," Yumi, unwilling to leave Maika to fend for herself among wolves, followed dutifully.

The girls around the golden boy's desk watched, hawk-eyed and relieved that neither of the pair had tried to make a move on the model they were guarding.

Ryota saw a glimpse of orange as Maika walked past him, never giving him a second glance. The other girl gave him a polite, blushing nod as she also strode past.

"That was Sorenji Maika and Takeda Yumi...what were they doing here?" A girl muttered loudly. (They should keep their hands off Kise-kun!) Several others agreed with the unspoken sentiment.

A courageous girl spoke up. "Kise-kun, do you know them?"

The golden boy smiled, masking his indifference. "Nope!"

* * *

"So, in today's Home Economics class, we will be learning how to make _tempura_. In your groups, check that you have all the right ingredients…"

Yumi slapped Maika's hand away from the eggs. "If you touch them, they'll crack!" She hissed at her.

"No way, that's impossible! I'm just checking, doing what the teacher said," Maika said breezily. _Tempura, tempura, tempura! Yum!_

_Yeah, sure you are. _Yumi analysed every possible thing that could go wrong, trying to give Maika the safest task to do. She had a bad feeling about Maika in the kitchen. "I'll…do the batter, and you can cut the vegetables…carefully."

"Okay! I'll make the slices look so beautiful, you'd think it'd be a waste to fry them!"

The sensible girl sighed, and started on the batter. Water, eggs, flour, baking soda. And mix it all together lightly… Yumi noted the faint chopping sounds around the rooms, the light chatter. All was well.

_Bang. Bang. BANG!_

Her head turned so fast, she almost strained the muscles in her neck. Maika was stabbing the pieces of pumpkin, the knife held in an offensive grip. "Take…this!"

She looked as if she was about to commit a murder. Newspaper headlines: Young Girl Murders Vegetables

"No, no! Stop, Mai, stop!"

Maika paused midair, in the prime-time murdering-stabbing position. "Yes?"

"P-p-position. Wrong grip, your position—wrong, wrong wrong!" Yumi panicked. "Do you _want_ to fail this subject?"

"Eh? Wrong?"

"Hold…the knife…like this! See this?"

"Oh."

"No! No, no, no!"

"Like this?"

"…Yes. Now slowly, slice down—tuck your fingers in, stupid!" Yumi hovered worriedly over Maika, checking every minute movement.

_Bang_. The knife hit the chopping board with scary force.

"Less strength, use less strength!"

"Yes, sir!"

Under Yumi's careful, panicked instruction…Maika learnt how to (unevenly) slice things. Upon comparing Yumi's perfect, lovely slices and Maika's dodgy ones, an observer would be able to see just how far away each girl was from becoming the (ideal Japanese woman) _yamato nadeshiko. _

By the way, Maika was light years away.

Yumi finished frying her delicious-looking tempura with a sigh of relief. _It's just frying, so even Mai can do it. It's easy. Mai can do easy things. Easy, breezy. Easy breezy_.

She watched with her heart in her mouth as Maika carefully placed an ugly slice of vegetable into the pan. _She can use chopsticks, easy. It'll be a breeze. Calm yourself. She'll be fine. FINE._

Her attention was taken by a query from a classmate from the opposite kitchen bay. "Takeda-san, could you help me with this? My tempura is so soggy. I don't know what I did wrong."

Yumi leaned over, recognising the problem immediately. "Ah, you beat the batter too much—you're not supposed to worry about the unevenness of the batter."

"Oh, I see! Thank you!" They shared a smile.

"Yumi-chan, look, look!" The girl reacted to an excited voice, and followed Maika's pointed finger.

"It's Sei-kun, he has sports class now!"

Yumi peered out the window, catching the scarlet colour easily. The boys of class 1 – A were doing laps for warm up. "Akashi-kun is near the front. He's quite fast."

The other female students crowded around the window as well. (The male students just grumbled a bit) "Akashi-sama is so cool!"

Yumi twitched. _Sama? Here as well? Akashi-_sama? _What kind of BDSM thing is going around now?_

"He's so handsome, too…"

"_Kyaa!_ Akashi-sama!"

"And a gentleman, and he's smart and polite and amazing!"

"…And his family's loaded!"

Yumi nodded along with the rest of them. True, true…she couldn't help but feel bad for the average nice guys in Teiko. They were overshadowed by people like Kise Ryota: a total hottie, a model (double whammy) and Akashi Seijuro: Rich, smart, sporty, good-looking. Quadruple whammy. _Yeowch. I'm glad I'm a female._

She looked down at her flat chest with distaste. _Now, if only these babies grew a bit bigger_. Eyeing Maika's only slightly-bigger-than-average chest, she thought that she might still have a chance. _The secret must be sports—lots of exercise!_

Yumi's could keep growing—it was only the first year of middle school, after all. Anyway, wasn't she forgetting something?

She glanced at Maika who was just staring into space now, not paying any attention to the stove.

Yumi gasped, running back. "Mai—it's on fire! The recipe paper is on fire!"

Maika jolted. "What? Oh my gosh, burning…it's burning!"

"Put it out quickly you idiot—my _god_ your tempura turned black!"

"No! My delicious tempura—ah hot, hot, hot!"

"Water, some water…use the tap, you fool!"

Pandemonium! _But_. It was just a small fire, no biggie.

The teacher re-entered the classroom at the wrong time. She stormed up to the duo. "Sorenji! What is the meaning of this? You set things on fire, your tempura is a mess…"

The female students stopped gushing over Akashi Seijuro and turned to watch the scolding, everyone silently pitying the victim.

Maika smiled sheepishly. "…Sorry?" Not a good answer.

The teacher stiffened in anger. "Tomorrow afternoon. Supplementary class. _Don't be late._"

"_Eeeeh? _But, sensei…"

"Do you have club activities? _Sorenji_?"

"I'm part of the going home club! I have lots of free time!" Maika laughed. Yumi slapped her head. _Don't say that, idiot!_

"Free time, huh?" The teacher smirked. "Then, this afternoon…you will see me after class. Understand? Today _and _tomorrow!"

Maika was about to protest, but then, by a rare stroke of genius, she decided to stay quiet. "_Hai, _sensei…"

_Most sensible thing you've ever done, Mai_. Yumi sighed in relief.

"Takeda, you were her partner, so you have to come today as well!"

Yumi shot an accusing look at Maika, who waved back merrily. _Tsk! My free afternoon—because of you…GONE!_

And little boy blue stood silently in the corner, observing (and eating his tempura). "Can I go, now?" He wondered if he was allowed to leave, as class was over a long time ago. As usual, no one noticed.

Tetsuya had been completely forgotten, yet again.

* * *

After the cooking disaster, Maika insisted (Yumi: You should stop being so stubborn!) on keeping her black tempura, wanting to have Seijuro's verdict on it. They caught up with Seijuro when he was passing by, having just finished sports class.

"Yoohoo! Sei-kun, come and see this!" Maika waved him over.

He walked over, and peered at the black abomination held out to him.

Maika smiled brightly.

"That's an interesting clay sculpture you have there," Seijuro delivered a fatal blow to Maika's feminine pride.

Yumi sniggered. "Akashi-kun…_that_, is tempura."

Crimson eyes narrowed, studying the strange black…stuff. Indeed, it smelt a bit burnt, and some parts were brown...and once upon a time _might _have been something edible. "Tempura?"

Maika picked up a piece of the unspeakable tempura, waving it around. "It's special tempura! Will you eat some, Sei-kun?"

A short silence.

Seijuro smiled civilly. She brightened her grin in return.

"I politely decline. I don't think…it's particularly edible, Maika." He bid her a goodbye, walking off at a slightly faster pace than usual.

"Aw. He left."

Maika stared at the piece of blackened tempura in her hand. She popped it in her—

Yumi slapped 'it' out of her grip. "DON'T EAT IT!"

* * *

"I can't believe it."

"Hmm."

"This is gross."

"…Yeah."

Yumi brandished the broomstick like a weapon, pointing it at her troublesome friend. "Why do _we_ have to clean the pool?" She complained, stomping on the dirty, wet concrete covered in chlorine. "_Teru me why!"_ The girl added in Jenglish, for emphasis.

"_Ain't nothin' but a heartache_," Maika sang back, fiddling with the nozzle of the hose.

"Don't Backstreet Boys me! Get the hose ready—you've been taking years over there!"

"Yes, ma'am." She kept trying to make the damn water come out—but the nozzle just wasn't frickin' _budging._

_How annoying. _The crouched girl stared intently at the orange nozzle, holding the hose closer to her face. Maybe if she turned it like _that_…and adjusted some part of it…

Meanwhile, Yumi was celebrating that the outdoor pool was located near the first gymnasium where the Basketball Club practiced.

"Ah, Akashi-kun, h-hello! Do you have basketball practice?"

"Good Afternoon, Takeda-san." He immediately understood the situation, casting a quick glance over the pool area. "Maika would have caused this situation, so I apologise if she's been too much trouble." He walked in…which was a bad decision. A bad, bad decision.

"O-of course…she hasn't!" Yumi answered, waving her hands around. Her demeanour did a one-eighty when her head swivelled to shout at the distracted Maika. "MAI! What are you doing? Akashi-kun is here!"

The boy politely pretended that he didn't see the change in tone.

"Sei-kun?" Maika livened up. She jumped to her feet to greet him, her hands accidently turning the hose nozzle in the other (correct) direction…

_Whooossshh. SPLASH. _Target: Akashi Seijuro. Mission: Successful. Accomplished accidentally.

"Woah! The hose is working!" The idiot slowly turned the nozzle back to stop the gushing water. She realised her folly a tad too late. _Ah, this is bad, isn't it? _

_A dripping wet Seijuro_. Yumi pinched her nose to stop an incoming figurative nosebleed (position-wise, she was currently behind him) and shot Maika a thumbs-up. _Good job!_

The other girl grinned back, not knowing the reason for Yumi's sudden approval, but accepted the praise anyway. But…

"Um. I'm sorry, Sei-kun…I didn't really mean—"

He gave her an unimpressed look. "It's okay…" he began tonelessly.

"Really? I'm so glad, I thought—"

"It's what you usually do, anyway." The hidden insult flew right over the girl's head. Seijuro bid them both a brief goodbye, and calmly walked away.

Maika felt chills run down her back. _He's mad. He's definitely mad. Oh my god he's mad at me._

Yumi decided to add her own piece of mind. "Anyone would be pissed if you did that to them."

"…Mmmmm, you're right." The idiotic orange girl replied absent-mindedly, recalling something…something about the way he said that it was the—

"THE USUAL? He said it was _the usual?_ I don't screw up all the time!" Maika raved.

The other girl sighed. "You do."

"No I don't!" She argued back.

Yumi leaned on her broom, shooting her a blank stare. "Face the truth, Mai." She pointed the finger of blame at her. "Face the truth in front of you!"

"At least _teru me why_!"

"_Ain't nothin' but a mistake…_"

"Don't 'Backstreet Boys' me!"

* * *

_I don't screw up! The usual…THE USUAL? That really makes me angry instead!_

Maika scrambled up the ladder to the diving board, wiping any dirt/dust particles off on her way up. The height didn't bother her—it was the thought of falling into that body of blasted water below. Experiencing the sensation of drowning once was enough.

"Be careful!" Yumi's voice called from below. She was lazily lounging on a bench, fanning herself. She looked _really_ comfortable, which kind of irked Maika…just a little bit.

"I _know_ I'm not a screw-up!"

Yumi smiled knowingly. _She's still sore about that remark. _ She closed her eyes, relishing a cool breeze that blew by. _Oh well, that idiot will get over it sooner or later._

_I'm not a screw-up. I don't screw-up. I'm not! I'm not! I'm not!_

Reaching the wobbly board, she stomped across the board…And. Slipped. Shamefully.

The surface had puddles of water on it. A swim class must have used it previously, she thought belatedly.

"Woah!"

The girl painfully landed on her behind, and the force (and lack of resistance, friction…whatever) made her _keep sliding_.

Off the board.

"Ah!"

"Mai, are you okay?"

And with her quick reflexes, our resident screw-up had found herself hanging off the board, begging forgiveness from the divine being. As her grip slipped, something in her heart snapped.

One determined thought passed through her brain.

_Damn this! Even though I can't swim, I'll bloody _learn_ how to swim! Starting _now.

_SPLASH!_

Though it was easy to think the thought…putting it into practice proved to be almost impossible.

"Yumi…help!" She gurgled while struggling to stay afloat. After sinking some scary distance into the deep water, she had desperately kicked herself to the surface (to the light, the white light!).

_I'm not going to die before this year's Sports Weekly: Special Karate Edition comes out!_

The ever-reliable friend (babysitter) threw her a life-saving ring with amazing accuracy. "Grab on, you idiot! Grab _on_!"

And this was just the first term of Middle School.

* * *

**つづく**

* * *

**End Notes**

_Things will pick up later…A good tragedy needs good comedy, and vice-versa. Because everyone knows what will ultimately happen –I'm looking forward to see your reactions to THE BREAKDOWN. _

_Do you guys like Yumi? I mean…the only reason I put her there is to allow character development for Maika. And soon…she'll be hilarious because of some of her new hobbies. ;)_

_Also, thank you for your reviews and follows and favourites! It motivates me! To ease your fears,__** LadyDream3512**__, Seijuro is Maika's first friend, and that will be a quite important influence on her. The __**Guest**__ reviewer—I don't know yet, let's just wait and see! And thank you, __**Eclair Dolce **__for pointing some things out that I have skirted over deliberately. Definitely NO Reverse Harem, though I may parody this clichéd device. Finally, the focus of Part 2 is the exploration of friendship. There will be a Part 3, covering high school, but that is ages away._

_Hope you enjoy, and I love you all very, very much. (Also, this sudden influx of reviews has left me busily typing…I will answer questions in the End Notes from now on.)_

_**Tollpatsch**_


	9. Punishment

_******オレンジ色の日々 **_

_**Orenji-iro no hi**_

* * *

**ORANGE DAYS**

* * *

**Part Two: Sprout**

"Of course, if I had misbehaved that day, my dinner was a salad made entirely out of iceberg lettuce, with water on top instead of dressing. It was like cabbage soup without the dignity."

― Jarod Kintz, _Gosh, I probably shouldn't publish this._

* * *

**Nine: Punishment**

Today was the morning of _the day_. The day of Home Economics supplementary class. If this orange idiot failed…it would bring shame on her womanly pride.

_Failure is not an option!_

Maika sighed as she slowly lowered herself onto her chair. Sitting on solid seats and standing on hard ground was the best feeling _ever_. She hated swimming and diving boards and pools even more now.

It would be fine—humans were land creatures after all.

"Good Morning, Sorenji-san." A voice addressed her out of nowhere.

"Kuroko-kun! Since when were you here?" Maika gasped.

"I arrived about ten minutes before you did." He answered her blankly, with a touch of the usual gloominess. He lightly closed the novel he was reading. She recognised the author.

"_The Escape_? I didn't know Murakami-sensei had a new book out! What's it about?"

"It's about how a boy broke out of gaol…set in a society in the future."

"_Uwah!_ How interesting!"

Tetsuya smiled fondly at the book—well, she thought she saw him smile. Could have been a trick of the light. "If you'd like, Sorenji-san, I can lend it to you when I finish."

She brightened considerably, bouncing in her seat to lean closer to the quiet boy. "Really? You will? It's not just an empty, promise that you randomly say for the sake of being polite?"

He blinked, unperturbed by her sudden closeness. "Yes, I will."

"Yay!" Maika found talking to him quite enjoyable…in a serene, calm way. "By the way, how is basketball going for you, Kuroko-kun?"

His gloominess upped a few levels, a slightly disheartened expression on his face. "I hope it'll go better…so I stay back later for extra practice."

_Extra work…wow._ The orange idiot glowed with admiration, impressed with his diligence. Maika was reminded of the hard-ass karate days, where she was forced to remain to improve. She still went to the dojo weekly, and did the exercises in her backyard every morning and night. Her neighbours had thought someone was dying in her garden once.

Anyway…

"That's really impressive!" Maika praised him. "I heard that the third gym was haunted, but it's you, wasn't it?"

"Ah. Yes. It's me."

She smiled at him, unaware of the jab at his lack of presence. "At this rate, you'll totally become a regular!"

"…I don't think—"

Maika pulled her chair up to his desk. "I'll come visit today…no, Thursdays are Make-up classes…" She closed her eyes, exercising her brain (thinking). "I'll come visit sometime next week, can I, can I?"

"You can, Sorenji-san."

"Yay!" She clapped her hands happily, like a seal. "Then—"

A schoolbag was suddenly smacked against her face. "Yumi-chan, my face is delicate," Maika complained.

The girl thought the orange idiot was being strange for sitting at an empty desk. "Morning, Mai—Woah! I've never seen you before!"

"Good morning, Takeda-san." Tetsuya greeted morosely. "Since the beginning of the year, I've sat next to Sorenji-san…since the beginning…"

Maika laughed. "Don't worry, Kuroko-kun. You just lack a presence, no biggie." That stabbed deep.

"You hurt his feelings, Mai." A hand swatted her head.

"Stop hitting me, Yumi-chan! This is abuse!" Her slow mind kicked itself into gear.

Yumi gave Tetsuya a critical look. _Average. Quiet. Lacks an impression._ "Since when were you two so buddy-buddy?"

Maika grinned, about to reply…

"Actually, don't answer that. I kind of don't want to hear your annoyingly cheery voice this early in the morning."

"Hey! That was mean!"

Unintentionally left out of the conversation, Tetsuya pondered gloomily on his lack of presence. _Invisible…_

* * *

"Coach Sanada, here is the paperwork for the summer vacation training schedule," Seijuro said as he handed over a thick manila folder. Other teachers secretly watched the exchange. His presence (top student in the grade!) in the teacher faculty office attracted much attention.

"Thank you, Akashi," the stern looking man replied, massaging his temples in stress.

"Is there something wrong?" he inquired politely.

"There's going to be a lot of work concerning the Nationals…Plus, the managers and the coaches have their hands full with other duties," he explained, trying to find a solution. "I wonder what we should do about it."

Immediately, Seijuro thought of an orange idiot with too much time on her hands. This would be good for her. "If I may suggest, we could use a student who does not have club activities to assist us."

The coach smiled tiredly. "It seems like you have someone in mind."

"Yes. Her name is Sorenji Maika, from Class 1 – G. She is currently not part of any clubs." (Author: He's selling her out! He betrayed her!)

Coach Sanada, like all the teachers and students, trusted Akashi Seijuro's judgement wholeheartedly. This student was the most capable one they had ever seen in their teaching careers.

He agreed to keep that student in mind as a helper, and dismissed him. Seijuro felt satisfied—she would learn a lot through this job. Also, he could keep an eye on her. That girl had a bad habit of staying out late in Shibuya…and one of these days she would wish she hadn't.

He heard someone squeak as they ducked behind a corner as he walked past. He sighed, stopping in his tracks in the corridor. "Maika. I know you're there, so stop trying to hide and come out." She wasn't very good at being stealthy.

"…!"

"Stopping yourself from breathing won't make you absolutely silent, you know. It'd be for the best if you come out."

Scuffling noises.

"_Now._"

Maika poked her head out unsurely before slowly approaching, like a sulking monkey. "…Um…Akashi Seijuro-sama…are you still mad about yesterday? You…didn't catch a cold or anything fatal, right?" Her voice sounded small and meek.

If it were fatal, he wouldn't be alive and well, standing in front of her. Sometimes, she needed to think things through before talking.

"I'm not mad."

"Really?" She beamed hopefully, her face full of expectations.

"Really," he confirmed, amused by her ever changing, ever vibrant expressions.

"And I'm not a screw up, right?"

He quirked the corners of his lips, looking away from her. "I'm not so sure about that."

Maika pouted childishly. "I'm not! Never was, never will be! Come on, Sei-kun, say it, say it!"

Seijuro disagreed firmly with her claims, but he ignored her whining in favour of something far more important. "By the way, I volunteered you as a helper for the Basketball club. We're incredibly busy this year," he threw out nonchalantly.

"Eh, why?"

"Because you're too free in the afternoons. This would help you develop necessary skills to aid you later in life." (Author: Note how vague he's being. Complete bullshit.)

She fell for it. "Okay, if you say so…How, when, what should I do?" Maika asked enthusiastically.

"No need to get so excited. The Coaches will find you while you are…being unproductive."

_OH, okay…_

Maika scratched her head, oddly feeling like she had been sold out or was being cheated of something. "Alright."

Impossible, he would never do that!

* * *

The (evil) Home Economics teacher had never seen such disgrace to the Japanese ideal. Maika smiled sheepishly, showing her the worst sewing stitches in the history of sewing.

"That is your handkerchief project from last week."

"…Yes."

There was a crooked line of messy stitches that made the handkerchief fold into a half permanently. Also, this girl had managed to stitch a hole into the cloth. Disaster, disaster, disaster.

The middle-aged teacher sighed. Her grey hairs will multiply once this was over. "It'll be a crash course today, covering all the basics so that you can scrape by. Be focused today, Sorenji!"

"Yes, Sensei!"

The teacher, a Mrs Segawa, was feeling the burden. This girl's failure reflected her incapability as a teacher, and she felt saddened at the fact. "Now…we wait for the other girl."

Maika perked.

"That's not a good thing, Sorenji," Mrs Segawa admonished her. Maika smiled sheepishly.

The door slid open, revealing a busty girl. Her silky rose tresses were neatly tied up in a high ponytail. Momoi Satsuki was indeed, a pretty girl, worthy to be lusted after by the majority of the male population of Teiko.

However, Maika never paid any attention to that type of talk, so she had no idea who this beautiful girl was. (She didn't really care, either)

"Sorry I'm late, Segawa-sensei! We had to organise the training schedule for the Nationals!" Satsuki gasped, her hands on her knees. Looking up, an orange haired girl caught her eye. Due to her information gathering background, she_ immediately_ recognised her. Sorenji Maika, Class 1 – G.

Maika's profile flooded her brain as the teacher gave them an opening lecture on the importance of Home Economics, and how they were worse than their male counterparts.

Birthday was April 16th. Should be Thirteen years of age. Height is approx. 158cm, final height after maturity estimated. 170cm. Black Belt in Karate, highly athletic. Grades are above average, however, weakness is mathematics (and Home Economics, she added). Estimated. C-cup. Likes reading. Hates swimming. Usually seen with a classmate from 1 –G, Takeda Yumi. Rumoured to be close with Akashi Seijuro (Very surprising). Comes from an affluent background. Quite popular because of bright, welcoming personality.

Satsuki lamented at how sparse the profile was. There was so much more she could have…but never having met Maika, this was the best she had on hand.

A hand tapped her shoulder lightly, breaking her train of thought. "Excuse me, we're supposed to try making a simple bento lunch in front of Segawa-sensei." Maika flashed her a kind smile. "I'm Sorenji Maika, and I burned my tempura black! What's your reason?"

Satsuki took to her instantly. "I'm Momoi Satsuki! Haha...I forgot to cut the vegetables and tried to fry them with no batter!" she chirped back, putting a hair cap and an apron on. "You can just call me Satsuki!"

The orange girl grinned. "Then, Maika is fine as well."

"Mai-chan!" The peach girl tested.

"Satsuki-chan!" the other replied cheerily. They smiled at each other, basking in the sparkles of friendship.

Mrs Segawa balked at the sweet display. "You two! Less talking, more cooking! I want to see that bento and miso soup done! Chop, chop!"

* * *

"And then, Satsuki-chan was like—let's throw it all in the pot, it can be a new type of miso soup! We had to remake it about three times though…" Maika finished recounting the whole experience to Yumi. Since it was a Friday afternoon, Yumi had waited for her friend's class to finish, both wanting to hang out in Shibuya (where all trendy teenagers hang out) before going home.

Yumi tilted her head in thought, holding onto a pole near the door of the super-fast Tokyo metro. "Is this Momoi Satsuki from 1 – F?"

"Uhuh! What is it, Yumi-chan?"

The sensible girl lightly bopped her head. "She's famous among the boys and girls, you know. The basketball club's beautiful manager…even though there are three managers."

"Wow, she's so amazing! Satsuki-chan is a really nice person as well! Is this what you call...the perfect woman?"

Yumi smirked. "But, you should know that both of us are popular in our own right as well. I won't lose to those D-cups!" She clenched a fist, oddly fired up.

Maika blinked. "Okay…sure."

"Definitely!"

"_**Next stop: Shinjuku station. All passengers please alight from the left side. Next stop: Shinjuku station."**_

The dynamic pair stepped out of their carriage, which was near the front of the train. Another dynamic pair also stepped out of a carriage near the end: a pair of childhood friends.

"Man, I think I almost _passed on_ during practice today. That Head Coach is a demon," A tall, dark-skinned boy complained, rubbing his neck.

The lovely Momoi Satsuki laughed at her friend's fatigue. "The Middle School Nationals are right after the summer holidays, the opening act to Interhigh! Of course he's going to drive the team as hard as he can." Her coral eyes glinted. "We have to win, you know."

Aomine Daiki sighed. "My bones are going to shatter before the competition if we keep training like this."

Satsuki hit his back roughly as they descended the other steps (a fair ways away from Yumi and Maika).

"Ow!"

"You're exaggerating! Anyway, I'm treating you out tonight as a reward for your hard work, so you should be grateful!"

He looked sceptically at her "You're in a crazy good mood today. Did you finally cook something decent in the make-up class or something?"

Satsuki beamed. "Well, today, me and—"

Daiki cut her off. "Actually, I don't really care—Ow! Don't kick me, Satsuki!"

The girl, annoyed that she was cut off, walked faster in reply. "Hmph!"

"Oi! Satsuki!"

Now, how do you think these two groups will meet?

* * *

"That place looks quite busy, but Okonomiyaki doesn't take long…so I'll go in and ask," Maika deduced, quite sensibly, if I may comment.

Yumi nodded, pointing at the Yakiniku place across the street. "I'll check that place out as well. It doesn't seem as packed." The orange idiot's strange perceptiveness picked up a dark alley next to the restaurant.

"Are you sure you'll be alright without me? I mean—owsh whatsh yoush shdoing, Yumish-shan!"

Yumi let of her cheek, showing a little mercy. "Of course I'll be fine, idiot. Just because I don't have my black-belt bodyguard with me (that's Maika) doesn't mean that I'll be in danger. Look at how busy and safe these streets are, _baka_." She stormed off.

Maika rubbed her abused cheek. "Sheesh…no need to insult my intelligence _twice,_ you know!" She strode into the busy establishment, slightly annoyed.

"Mister, do you have any free private rooms?"

"Welcome, young lady! Ah, about that..."

Maika persevered. "I can pay the extra fee, so please give me one. Please? To brighten up my youthful days? And we'll be quick."

The man at the cashier stroked his chin in deep thought. "Hmmm…if you put it that way like I'm spoiling your springtime of youth…I'll give you a room! You have to wait ten minutes, for the people inside it to finish up. You know, back when I was your age—"

"Okay, Okay! I'll take it!"

The old man scratched his white head of hair, forgetting what amazing story he was about to regale. "Alright. Your name, young lady?"

"Sorenji Maika—orenji is like the colour…"

"Yes, yes. Come back in ten!" Maika smiled, and waved back at the nice old man.

"No way!" Yumi's voice carried over the busy hum of the crowds of people.

Maika turned to the source and _she saw it_. Yumi was getting mugged! The words, 'I told you so' faded from her lips as she broke out into a run, the crowds slowing her down to a jittery walk.

_Let me get to her in time!_

* * *

Maika had hexed her. Yumi knew it. Definitely, definitely, jinxed her. What was that orange idiot, a prophet or something?

"Come on, just come with us to have some dinner." A weirdo student was hitting on her. _Hitting_ on _her._ Now, if he was super good-looking, she would feel flattered, but these hoodlums seemed like they just wanted any decent-looking girl to warm their beds at night.

"I said I was waiting for someone, okay? I _can't_," she snapped at them, pretending not to be scared. _Mai…hurry up, you idiot!_

Another hoodlum spoke up. "You've been waiting for a real long time, babe. I bet you're just messing with us."

"We'll have lots of fun," the first one grinned, lust clouding his eyes.

Yumi stopped her jaw from dropping open. _The HELL? I'm just a middle schooler, barely out of primary school—I mean, I know I'm attractive, but FUCK THIS YOU SICKOS! PAEDOPHILES! _She secretly trembled with disgust.

"I can't go with you, I'm _busy_." Yumi said firmly.

The paedophile's expression changed to anger. "Little whores like you should just…do as I say!" His reached out to grab her. Yumi flinched, ready to run for it.

A dark hand shot out of nowhere, stopping the paedophile. "She already said that'd she didn't want to go with you, didn't she?"

They were attracting attention from the crowds passing by. Paedophile snarled. "Fine, then. Go with your boyfriend." Paedophile #1 and #2 stalked off, ready to victimise another poor girl.

Yumi let out a shaky breath, relieved. "Thank you for helping me." This guy was also from Teiko, wearing their blue and white uniform. He must have just finished club activities, and was conveniently in the area. _Lucky, I'm lucky. _

"Ah, it's alright," he yawned. "Just helpin' out—"

"Dai-chan! Don't just run off without me!" A voice called out. Yumi turned to see Momoi Satsuki jogging over to where she stood.

Daiki scratched his head lazily, wincing at the volume. "_Che_. You're so loud."

Satsuki pouted. "It's really, _really _busy here, so of course I have to be loud!" She caught Yumi's eye. "_Ara_? Takeda-san? What a coincidence!"

Yumi mentally assumed a fighting pose (one that she remembered seeing Maika doing back at the Karate dojo). Even while standing still, this girl…

Those knockers _bounced._ It's like they had a life of their own.

"Um…yeah." She fumbled for words, feeling meek under the combined stares from Satsuki and her saviour. "Hi, Momoi-san."

Daiki clasped his hands behind his head, feeling sluggish. "You know her, Satsuki?"

The rose haired girl's eye twitched. "Ah…Not personally, but I know who Takeda-san is…she's quite well known, _Aomine-kun_."

He shivered. "Stop calling me that, it's gross."

Yumi analysed the situation carefully. "Are you two dating?"

"N-no! We aren't! We're just childhood friends!" Satsuki stuttered. _That's why I call you Aomine-kun, stupid! Realise it already…Mou!_

"No way. That's disturbing," Daiki drawled at the same time.

"He's like…my annoying brother!"/"She's like an annoying sister."

Yumi stared at them blankly.

"So you're _just_ a pair of _good_ friends who decided to eat dinner together," Yumi said calculatingly, trying to categorise Daiki, and determined that he was kind-of attractive…in a gruff, man-boy way. Only kind-of…she understood why he was secretly popular among the girls.

(The pair didn't really like that way Yumi said that sentence, but chose not to comment.)

"By the way, Momoi-san…Aomine-kun. There aren't any seats inside that restaurant, since you guys look like you want to go in."

Satsuki deflated. "But they have really good barbequed beef…"

Daiki sighed. "Argh, whatever—"

He was cut off by a flying kick to his gut.

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"(Maika was still in uniform, no skintight green jumpsuit anywhere...)

Daiki painfully landed on his back…a familiar sensation like this one time after his primary school graduation ceremony—

"How dare you try to mug _my_ cute, innocent Yumi-chan!" Maika yelled, keeping a foot pressed to his gut to immobilise the possible (mistaken) rapist.

(Satsuki watched with wide eyes. Yumi clenched her fists. _My _cute, innocent, Yumi-chan?)

"The hell? Get off me!" Daiki grumbled. _Frickin' hell, that kick HURT._ Upon seeing the girl standing on him, he froze in recognition.

"_Areee?_ You look familiar." Maika blinked, very confused. _This person…_

Both gasped at the same time. "…You!"

* * *

"I'msh sho verysh showwy (I'm so very sorry). I shought shyou shwere ash shrapisht. (I thought you were a rapist)" Maika apologised tearfully, with Yumi pinching and stretching _both _her cheeks. She let go.

"It hurts…" Maika cried out.

Daiki touched his gut, wincing. _It hurts even more here._

"It's karma because you attacked Aomine-kun, who _helped_ me, you _idiot!_" Yumi scolded her. She paused, getting an evil glint in her eye. "You know, Aomine-kun is a regular at the basketball club. What would Akashi-kun say if he knew you injured a precious _regular_?"

The orange idiot panicked. "He'd be really mad!" Maika wailed. _And I only just sort-of got his forgiveness!_ She turned to Daiki, a desperate look in her eyes. "I'll treat you to dinner, so your stomach won't hurt anymore…owsh Yumish whatsh nowsh?"

Yumi almost had a blood vessel burst as she screamed: "AS IF EATING WOULD UNDO THE PAIN FROM YOUR STUPID KICK! _IDIOT_!"

That was like, the fourth time she was called an idiot in a span of twenty minutes.

"…I'm sorry." Maika looked up determinedly. "But still, as compensation…" She shed tears of blood for her idiocy. "I'll…buy you dinner."

Daiki felt a bit bad for her. Just a teensy little bit. Last time, too, she compensated him with a despairing, this-is-the-end-of-me look on her face. He was about to speak, but the annoying, pink girl did instead.

"By the way…I'm here as well, Mai-chan…"

"Satsuki-chan!" Maika exclaimed. "Oh my, if it's you I don't mind treating then! (Daiki: Then what am I?) Let's go, go, I've reserved a private room at that Okonomiyaki restaurant." She pushed the girls in the right direction.

"Ahomine-kun, aren't you coming?"

"_Ao_mine. You got it wrong!"

"…Did I?"

He seethed, the words rushing out in a jumble. "Just…don't mispronounce the name! Think of the colour blue, _ao_!"

"Ahomine…"

"_Jigau!_ Totally wrong!"

Maika thought for a moment before speaking. "Aomine-kun!" she chirped.

He looked away, feeling disgusted chills travel up his spine at her sugary tone. "What?"

"Nothing really! Just wanted to try saying it."

The boy sighed. She was stupid as well, wasn't she? "…Don't call me without a purpose."

Maika smiled good-naturedly. This egg-boy reminded her of Yumi when she was on her Tsundere tangents. It was very endearing, and the familiarity made her less awkward. "You must be a nice person, deep, deep, very deep…somewhere in the deepest part in the sub-saharan depths of your black African heart, so thank you again for helping Yumi-chan."

_Some parts of that sentence were unnecessary. _He stayed abnormally quiet when something else came to his attention.

"Aomine-kun, what's the matter?"

"…Say…when are you going to let go of my arm?" He looked highly uncomfortable. To a bystander, he might have looked cutely embarrassed, but in reality he _really _didn't want this overly sweet girl too close to him. (Satsuki: There's a good mood going!)

Maika grinned, letting go. "Haha, I didn't know that you were _upset_." (Yumi: I have a bad feeling about this)

Damn it. Damn her! "Shut up. I'm not upset! You're just annoying!"

"How mean! I was just trying to be nice!" She shot back, her happy mood crumbling.

"I'm not being mean on purpose…I was just telling you the truth!"

"I can't handle the truth! (Author interjection: _A Few Good Men, anyone?_) I bet you just have something against me! Spit it out, you do, don't you?"

"_You're_ the one that keeps knocking me over, (and you're annoying) and the pain still aches!" He retorted, his face drawn into an irked expression.

"The _pain_? You wimp, you're just scared of the pain?" Maika rolled up her uniform sleeves, tensed. "I'll _show_ you pain!"

"I'm not a wimp! Bring it on!"

"Pansy! Sissy! Wuss! Candy-ass!" Somehow, both had the ability to rile each other up.

"I said I'm not!"

"Oh yeah, why don't you show me?" She gave him an expectant look. "_What_ can you possibly do?"

"I play basketball!"

"You wouldn't stand a chance in a street fight, you sissy basketball player!"

"You wouldn't either, those twiggy arms of yours would be snapped!"

"_What_ did you say? Why, you would—"

They bickered back and forth, neither willing to let the other win.

Yumi and Satsuki watched with dead eyes. The busty one spoke up first. "Those two are like a cat and a dog," she observed blankly.

"No, Momoi-san. I think Mai is a monkey," Yumi deadpanned back.

"A cat and a monkey?"

Yumi laughed tonelessly. "Hahaha. Haha. What a shame."

Satsuki giggled in response. "You might be right. And for a moment I thought they had a good mood going..."

No way in _hell_, cute Satsuki-_chwan_. That ship won't leave the harbour. No way.

Not now. Not…_yet?_

That's for fate to decide.

* * *

**つづく**

* * *

**End Notes**

_I apologise if I misled you to think that was Daiki X Maika fluff. As you can see, they don't really get along because of their similarities and differences—neither holds anything back, which will always lead to eventual conflict. But arguing is a form of friendship? Maybe not._

_I just don't want everyone to like her off the bat. You know? There's always that one person that you get off on the wrong foot. Also, since many have asked about pairings and romance and lovely things like that…Here's my answer:_

_THERE WILL BE ROMANCE. BUT IT'LL BE SO SLOW YOU WILL WANT TO KILL ME. _

_Also, did people not like the previous chapter? I liked it, but plot-wise, there might not have been enough OOMPH. Oh well. As long as I enjoy writing, it doesn't really matter._

_Since I'm in Australia, Happy Birthday to Midorima Shintaro! :) He might be making an appearance next time!_

_**Tollpatsch**_


	10. Bane

**オレンジ色の日々 **

_**Orenji-iro no hi**_

* * *

**ORANGE DAYS**

* * *

**Part Two: Sprout**

"I already explained this. I don't like you. True, I don't like most people, but I especially dislike you. I could start my own religion based on how much I dislike you."

― G.A. Aiken_, What a Dragon Should Know_

* * *

**Ten: Bane**

_Cancer: You must be satisfied with your current state for your luck remains stagnant. Move on with much caution, or your luck will turn!_

Midorima Shintarou was uneasy. Today, Oha Asa had placed Cancer in the shaky _eighth place_. Eight was not a good number, no sir. Eighth was _not _a good ranking.

_Curse my luck!_

He coolly pocketed his lucky item of today: a ticket. With this item, eighth place became slightly more acceptable. He could survive the morning. He could last the day. Summer vacation was only a week away. He could survive this.

Damned eighth place.

"Gah, I'm beat." The lazy fool who sat in front of him groaned, slumping over his desk. Stupid Virgo in stupid Seventh place…stupid Aomine who didn't study for tests and yet still managed to pass. It must have been the quality of the paper of Momoi's notes. That _had_ to be the secret. THAT HAD TO BE THE SECRET!

_Simpleton. Halfwit. Idiot. Imbecile._ He shot the insults as mental bullets, taking out his misfortune on the boy in front to make himself feel better. Daiki shifted in his seat, completely unaware.

_Hmph!_ _This fool probably has no idea that I am in his class. _

Something orange caught his eye. A girl was crawling on the ground, zipping around the desks like a spider. She stopped in front Daiki's desk, an impudent smile on her face.

"Boo!"

Shintarou watched her scare the living daylights out of Daiki with a grim satisfaction. Crouching on the floor, her eyes were peeking out at the edge of his desk in the creepiest fashion.

"Gah!" Daiki nearly fell off his chair. Maika cackled at him.

"You—Sorenji, the hell are you doing?"

"Scaring you!" She tilted her head to the side. "Haha, you're still too wimpy!"

"Learn some restraint, will you? You always mock me!"

"Yumi-chan said it was my way of showing affection to others," she quoted proudly.

"…That's gross," he deadpanned.

"How mean!"

"What are you here for, anyway?" _Go away, go away, go away_. The words were written all over his face.

She smiled (Daiki: disgustingly) sweetly. "Lend me your English grammar book." Maika paused, her drilled-in manners taking over. "…Please."

"Why? Can't you share with somebody? Ask Satsuki." He made a shoo-shoo gesture with his hand.

"The teacher always gets people who forgot their stuff into trouble. And don't flatter yourself, Satsuki-chan doesn't have English today."

A beat of silence passed between them. Daiki sighed, lazily rummaging around his desk for his beaten-up textbook

"…Fine. Just leave me in peace."

"Really? Yay!"

Shintaro tuned out of the idiotic rabble. That flashy girl was Sorenji Maika, who ranked ninth in the midterms, he had noted. She was miles behind him though: nineteen point difference.

He turned away haughtily. _I don't care._

* * *

An idiot had the audacity to throw a chalk duster in his face. Apparently it was an accident.

His Special Rolling Pencil broke in half when he dropped it and was about to pick it up and _the fool Aomine stepped on it_.

A stray cat scratched his favourite dictionary. Don't ask how that happened…_it just did_.

A banana peel caused him to slip and he almost died falling down the stairs. Note: Stairs are dangerous. (Just look at One Piece) They can kill.

A pole was in his way while walking. His glasses broke. But he had a spare in his pocket, so he regained normal eyesight. And his head hurt so much.

Finally, he was losing at his millionth game of Shogi against…against _this guy_.

_The number one sign today is…Sagittarius!_

_You have a wonderful luck being able to express your gratitude for the friendship you have. You'll be friendly throughout the day, right?_

_Click._

"Your turn, Midorima." Seijuro said softly.

It was lunch break, and Shintarou had made it his mission—no, his life goal, to win (at least once!) against his guy. Hence, he constantly challenged him for rematches. It was supposed to be a quiet, two-person, serious affair.

"Anyway, Sei-kun, this guy dared his friend to eat his udon...through his nose with the whole class watching! It was really gross, Yumi-chan said, but I thought it was weird how it would fit—"

_CLACK!_

"How am I supposed to concentrate with this…_thing_ chatting away?" Shintarou shot Maika an unwelcoming glare. "…And who is she? (lie)" Sorenji Maika was sitting a tad too close to Seijuro—like a pet.

But Shintarou had enough (minimal) tact not to voice this thought.

Maika smiled at him disarmingly. "Ah, sorry to be a bother! I'm Sorenji Maika. It's nice to meet you, Midorima-kun."

_If you're really sorry to be a bother…THEN LEAVE. _Despite his inner annoyance, he displayed a cool façade, _coolly_ looking at her with a _cool_ look.

He overheard her cheeky whisper to Seijuro. "He must be a tsundere."

"I am _not-nanodayo_."

"_Nanodayo?_ Haha, how weird."

Shintarou seethed silently. _Weird? I'm not weird!_

The blunt girl suddenly got up all close and personal with his face. (_Get away from me!_) "You…have a very pretty face. Do you read books? Are you a class president? Are you the mysterious type?"

What the hell was with these random questions? What did she want? Why couldn't he play Shogi (and win) in peace?

Shintarou glanced at his friend-no, rival-no, person he must beat. Seijuro was sitting calmly as he analysed the Shogi board.

_He's ignoring it! He's definitely ignoring her!_

He tried to regain his bearings. "Today is my unlucky day—don't stand so close to me!" He was getting thrown off, sucked into her pace! _I must right myself, okay, okay, stabilise, stabilise. _

Shintarou frowned. "I'll answer you if you answer my query." He motioned her to sit down.

"Eh? Mmm…okay."

Seijuro mentally sighed, knowing what will happen.

His glasses glinted. "When is your birthday? What is your blood type? And are you going to drink that can of red bean soup you have been refusing to open?"

"Um…I was born on April 16th. I'm type O." She eyed his untouched CC Lemon. "Can we swap? I wanted lemonade, but I accidentally pressed the wrong button," Maika laughed at her mistake.

It was the same for him (his glasses were K.I.A, so he pressed the wrong button and used up all his money), but Shintarou remained silent on that (embarrassing) matter. He quickly swapped their drinks, and scooted away as far as possible from her.

"What's wrong, Midorima-kun?"

"Cancer does not get along with Aries," he started, but then he smirked. "However, today, your luck is in 10th place according to Oha Asa." _Hah!_ Finally, there was someone with worse luck than his 8th place.

It made him feel better. So, what would she say-

"I got lost after the word Aries." The orange idiot grinned stupidly. "Sei-kun, your friend is a queer."

Diplomatically, Seijuro said nothing in response.

_Click_. "Ote."

And Shintaro lost, yet again.

"Ah, you lost, Midorima-kun!" It felt like she threw a rock of salt at him and was rubbing it in his wound.

Mister Glasses smouldered silently.

* * *

It was Friday afternoon, the last day of the first term. Tomorrow would be the first day of Summer Vacation, a reprieve from the accumulating stress from the term. However, the Nationals were fast approaching and the Teiko basketball team was preparing for victory. It was chaos, the behind-the-scenes paperwork, training schedules, attendance records, medical statistics…all piled up with no one available to organise them.

And that's where Sorenji Maika, the unfortunate 'volunteer' came in.

"Man…Yumi-chan ditched me again," she moaned.

She sat on the topmost balcony of the third gymnasium, papers scattered everywhere (organised chaos) and a school laptop in her lap. It was an easy process. Open document, get relevant paperwork, crosscheck and input data onto the School Network. Repeat this a million times.

Maika could hear the incessant squeaking of shoes against the court. Looking down, she watched the third string members practice sluggishly on the court. This group of people would have the least motivation in the whole club; they were the dumping ground, the talentless, and the ones with the least chance of playing in real matches. Their only hope was to work hard enough to get into the second string.

_As long as they keep working…I don't see how they can't get into second string._

"We'll do this exercise three more times!" the coach barked. Muttered protests, quiet groans and panting were his replies.

The orange girl tore her gaze off the court below to focus on the task at hand. "But…they really focus on the first string members a lot…there's barely anything on these guys. How are they supposed to play better in this sport that they love, when you invest all your resources on your star players…all for victory?" Maika scratched her head, miffed. "That's pretty cold."

"I agree with your sentiments," a gentle voice responded. She hadn't noticed anyone walking up, so this person must have been up here, with her…the whole time. (Author: Talk about creepy)

Maika had no idea who this person was. "Um, Sensei...?"

The kindly man smiled. "Ah, I don't teach anymore. I'm the Head Coach for this club, Shirogane Kozo. And are you a new manager?"

"No, not at all! Sei—I mean, Akashi-kun asked me to help with the paperwork here, because I'm not part of any club." She grinned. "I'm Sorenji Maika, Akashi Seijuro's number one fan!"

The Head Coach laughed merrily. "Is that so?"

"Without a doubt!"

And they exchanged pleasant small talk. Maika had a feeling that this Coach was a nice person—she got that 'nice-guy' feeling from him. They chatted and chatted, and topics switched back and forth, varying from the weather to school life until it landed on the inevitable.

Basketball.

"Head Coach, shouldn't you be overseeing the first string's practice?" Maika had long finished today's pile of monstrous work, and decided to veer the conversation back on track.

He looked down at the tired forms of the third string players below. "I usually watch their practices, however, sometimes I make time to watch these players as well." The man looked at her, kind smile never faltering. "They are also an important part of the team."

The orange girl hopped up to her feet, leaning on the railing. "…That's very true." She smiled when she noticed little boy blue in the crowd of players. Tetsuya had fallen over on his face, a still form in the midst of the others in motion. _Ouch_.

_Speaking of Kuroko-kun, I did say that I'd come for a visit. And The Law (mother) said that people who break their promises are dirty motherfuckers…_

Maika hurriedly gathered up her work and the school laptop in her arms. "Anyway, I have to be going, so if you will excuse me, Coach. It was nice talking to you!" She nodded to him politely. "And please think about promoting Akashi Seijuro to captain, he's a really good leader!" She sped off like a tornado.

Kozo chuckled to himself. "He's got himself a very eager fan…"

* * *

Sometimes when you're waiting for your order at Maji Burger, you get a newbie that screws it up. Customers could get angry, annoyed, cry, get violent and throw vending machines around, call up the local yakuza to teach them a lesson, summon a demon…well it could be any type of response that the poor newbie had to cope with.

Luckily for this Maji Burger trainee, Maika was just a normal Middle School student. Completely normal. Well, maybe she wasn't quite right in the head concerning common, everyday life. But I digress.

"Excuse me, I asked for a Large Mint Chocolate Shake. This is clearly a Vanilla Shake."

She didn't mind Vanilla—all her hygiene products were Vanilla scented, but today she felt like Chocolate Mint. So she had to _get_ Chocolate Mint. She _had to_. It was like how her parents turned into members of the vengeful 'undead' without coffee in the morning.

You know, when you've thought out: I'm _definitely _going to get that, do this, and somehow you have to get something different, do something different and you're like—NO WAY YOU PUNK-ASS BITCH, I DO THINGS MY WAY. Comprendre? No?

Author: Alright, fine. I'll stop leaking my own feelings into the narrative.

"M-my apologies," the poor girl fussed about. "Here is your L-large Chocolate Mint Shake—please take the other shake as a gift!" She bowed incessantly. "I'm very sorry, I'm very sorry—"

"It's okay, I don't really mind." Maika wasn't the type of person to refuse free things; The Law told her that freebies weren't all bad. But she had no idea what to do with it.

Oh well.

* * *

"…A Vanilla shake, Sorenji-san?" Little boy blue stared up at her from his resting/lying/dying (?) position on the court. He was surprised that she actually came during his overtime practices, decked in her sports uniform and basketball shoes, no less.

"You like? No like?" She waved it in front of his face.

"I couldn't just take it—"

"Okay, so you do like Vanilla! Come on, drink up, Kuroko-kun!" She handed it to him, sitting down to do some warm-up stretches.

"What are you doing in your sports uniform, Sorenji-san?" Tetsuya sipped it contentedly. He hadn't drunk shakes often, but he remembered he might have liked it in primary school. He liked it better now.

In response she jumped up to grab a stray basketball of the ground before dribbling it to deliver a perfect two-pointer into the hoop. All in one, smooth, enviable movement (and sentence).

"Aha! Lucky me, though I probably won't be able to make any more baskets after this fluke. It's been a long time." She crouched down next to his form.

"I said that I'd visit you, didn't I?" The orange girl grinned cheekily. She took off her trademark pearl studs, and tied her hair back into a tiny ponytail. Putting her things away, she was ready.

"Come on, basketball star. I challenge you to a one-on-one."

Tetsuya got up to his feet, his drink long finished. He nodded seriously. "Okay."

* * *

_Spread your arms out. Breathe. Watch him bounce the ball._ Tension rose and rose, he faked left and pushed off to drive past _oh no you don't_—

Maika stole the ball, staring at it blankly. "Um…is this supposed to be easy?" She asked indelicately. However, she meant no harm, really—it was just an insensitive question.

Tetsuya, through his huffing and puffing from the continuous rounds one after the other (and he was sluggish, because of the training session before), shot her a gloomy, what-do-_you _-think (you idiot) look.

It was quiet in the third gymnasium, except for the panting breaths of a tired player. He glanced at Maika, who was dabbing at her forehead, only slightly sweating. She wasn't winded at all, which made him wonder what was it that she did that kept her in such good form. So he voiced that thought. And the answer surprised him.

"My abnormally high endurance? I go to the Karate Dojo twice a week for some hard-core training and sparring. I think almost die every time!" She laughed in her carefree way.

Karate? Really? Seriously? Oh gosh, he was playing against a _Karate _person who played basketball _for leisure_ and he was _losing miserably_. And he was barely able to keep up in afternoon practice, and the next test was the Summer test, and the Fall test to get into Second String and he knew! Argh! He knew that he had to keep working and get better and better before even thinking about any advancement—

Her voice cut through his downward spiral of thought. "It's your balance."

"Excuse me?"

She walked closer to him, an uncharacteristically serious expression on her face. "I've noticed that it's your balance."

"_Ano_…what about it?"

Maika let the words tumble out quickly. "You tend to push off a little too quickly for you to react, like _whoosh _and _bam!_ And you stumble like _ching!_ And then you're like _woah_ my balance! And you always take a deeeeeep breath before a drive…like _wham_. But I can see the _whoosh _so I'm like _shtop!"_

"…Ah." Those explanations flew over his head.

"And you're hands must be like…_owieee!_ You should properly stretch all the ligaments in your fingers."

_That_ he could understand.

He picked up a ball lying near his feet. "Thank you," he said earnestly.

She beamed. "Ah, that's alright! We're friends, aren't we? And you lent me your novel with the super suspenseful beginning and you sit next to me in class…we're friends!"

"Friends," he repeated.

"That's right!" She slung an arm over his shoulder. "So when you get into the first string, I'll be just as happy as you will be!"

That was a rather optimistic statement, but she had voiced his hopes and dreams. "Sorenji-san?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you repeat that long list of pointers? I'm afraid I didn't catch any of it."

In response, Maika stared at him with wide eyes.

"In the standard language, if you can."

* * *

…..

**To: Sei-kun**

Subject: Summer Vacation

Hiya! (^.^)

Are you free during the

holidays?

…..

**To: Maika**

Subject: Summer Vacation

I'm afraid not.

The Nationals for basketball is

coming up, and there are extra

practices. Also, I have lessons

that I cannot miss.

I'll see you again next term.

…..

Maika sighed, staring sadly at the message on the screen. She despondently flipped the screen shut to flop back onto her bed. It felt a bit lonely knowing that she wouldn't be able to see him during summer vacation. Maybe absence makes the heart grow fonder?

Nah. Absence makes the heart go nuts.

She turned towards her window, her back facing the piles of summer homework waiting to get done. Maika wasn't the type of person to make many friends. She couldn't. She was the type of person that inspired admiration and hate, but rarely the loyal beginnings of friendship.

Was she right in assuming that Kuroko Tetsuya was her friend? Had she been ditched by Yumi, who said she was going on a holiday to Okinawa? (Blue sea and beaches and sunshine!) Did it feel like Seijuro and her were starting to drift apart?

Was her family becoming more and more distant or was she just imagining it? Her mother worked as a diplomat, flying to different country after country. Her father almost lived in his office in one of Japan's Big Four Banks. Money was never an issue-they had a housekeeper to make her meals (turned cold when she returned home) and reaching her parents was only a call away. But the house felt so lonely and cold and dark.

They felt so far away.

"Why am I here…" she mumbled, her face pressed into her Vanilla-scented pillow. What she was experiencing now was what people called an existential crisis, wasn't it?

"Sei-kun, Yumi-chan…Everyone is…"

Sorenji Maika also had her insecure moments, no matter how confident she seemed. But thinking about things never did her any good. She was all about action, action _action_.

Next time, after basketball Nationals were over and done with, she'll gather the courage to ask Momoi Satsuki out on a shopping trip. When her new friend Kuroko Tetsuya will be down in the dumps—no, when he makes second string, first string, twelfth string (Whatever) she'll treat him to something good to celebrate. When Yumi comes back, they'll go out to Shibuya again during their free afternoons.

If Seijuro can't spend time with her, she'll make an effort at school. Instead of being his Number One Fan, she can become his Number One Stalker! Yeah!

When her parents are home and the whole family is together, she just might ask them for a family trip. Anywhere would be fine—Kyoto, Hokkaido, Okinawa…the local Maji Burger joint. Anywhere, as long as they could be together.

As long as everyone's together forever, she'll be okay.

She'll be okay.

* * *

"_This year's champions, Teiko Middle School! They've won it again, this powerhouse basketball school. Congratulations!" _The speakers blared, and loud cheering echoed throughout the stadium.

Maika sat amongst the Teiko supporters. The school had encouraged students to cheer on their prized basketball team. They had breezed through the qualifying rounds and blitzed through the finals.

_Amazing, absolutely amazing!_

She stood as the cheering students milled out onto the court, rushing and whooping and grinning. Maika had a rather large smile on her face as well. Sitting in the front row let her see all the action. She searched for the person she looked up to the most in the world. Spotting him, she called his name out.

"Sei-kun!" He turned at hearing her voice from his position within the crowd. Maika waved at him from her dangerous-looking standing position on the railing. "Hey! Congratulations!"

Seijuro paused in his conversation with Nijimura Shuzo to glance at the madly waving girl.

"Someone you know?"

Seijuro waved back half-heartedly. "…Yeah. Something like that."

Both calmly watched her fall off the railing, onto the court. She landed in a crouch, unscathed, as a loud cracking sound reverberated throughout the air. Apparently she provoked the anger of Midorima Shintarou. A mild scuffle ensued.

"That was my lucky item! And it was worth thousands of US dollars, you brainless monkey!"

"I already said that I was sorry, okay? And don't bring something that valuable with you, stupid!"

"I _have_ to have something made out of china because it's today's lucky item! I have to, my life is on the line here!"

"I get it, I'm sorry! I'll reimburse you!"

Nijimura Shuzo looked to the red head standing next to him. "Should you or I go and break it up?"

Seijuro shook his head, hiding a smile. "There's no need. It'll be fine."

Shuzo cast a lingering, suspicious glance at the clashing pair. It seemed that the fight was escalating. "Seriously? I kind of don't—"

"Oha Asa is a cult! It's a cult that no one but you believes in!"

"It's a perfectly legitimate way of fortune telling! It has and never will be wrong in basketball, and all aspects of my life!"

A slight lull in the argument followed.

"…Speaking of basketball, I never thought _you, _a nerd…were one of the regulars, no offence. I thought the only thing you could do was study," she waved her hand at him breezily, feeling the anger dissipate slightly as mirth replaced it.

"Hmph! I take much offence, monkey!"

"That's so mean, calling a vulnerable teenage girl a monkey!" Maika leapt back to widen the distance between her and Shintaro, but knocked someone over instead.

"Look where you're going, Sorenji! Do you have a fetish for pushing me down or somethin'?"

Aomine Daiki joins the fray.

"I don't have an extra pair of eyes like this cult guy does! Meanie four-eyes! And I'm terribly sorry for knocking you down so _easily_, Aomine-kun."

"Oha Asa is not a cult!"

"_Hah_? You implying that I'm _weak_, Sorenji? Is all of this because it's your second day?"

She bristled at the crude reference. "You're so insensitive!"

"I'm sensitive enough to know that Oha Asa is kinda weird! Doesn't that count for anything?"

"No one asked you, Ahomine!"

"Wanna go at it, Midorima?"

"I'm still mad at you two!" Maika declared. And so the squabble managed to worsen into a three-way catfight.

Shuzo scratched the back of his head, thoroughly confused. "How the hell did that happen? Are you still absolutely sure there's no need to break it up?"

This time, Seijuro couldn't hide the small smile on his lips. "No. There's no need."

Those three would always clash. "No need."

* * *

**つづく**

* * *

**End Notes**

_Justification: In their first and second years, Seijuro still calls the GOM by their last names. Also, Murasakibara didn't appear because...I felt like it would be too convenient and conventional if he was there. And I like the unconventional._

_What can I say? Oops, because now Maika can't get along with BOTH Midorima and Aomine. Personality CLASH, YEAH! Also, their horoscopes aren't compatible. I find this mutual dislike entertaining…but Maika is a tad nicer to Aomine because he helped Yumi from being raped or something. _

_Oh, but it isn't hate or anything. It's just a slight grinding of different personalities that don't initially go well together in the mixing pot that is a story. _

_Many people have wanted Midorima to appear, so…are you disappointed? Happy? No feelings at all? _

_Thank you for your perpetual support,_

_LOVE,_

_**Tollpatsch**_


	11. Finally

**オレンジ色の日々 **

_**Orenji-iro no hi**_

* * *

**ORANGE DAYS**

* * *

**Part Two: Sprout**

"The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense."

- Thomas A. Edison

* * *

**Eleven: Finally **

The classroom they used for their Shogi matches had been abandoned by the school. The School Board originally planned for it to be merged with the neighbouring classrooms in order to build a new lecture theatre, complete with the state-of-the-art technology. But the generous donation from the Akashi family was used instead as funding for the Basketball club.

Said heir of the family fortune sat in front of a Shogi board contentedly as he trounced his opponent at the game. As a result, Shintarou had been debating over his next move for the last quarter of an hour, glaring at the pieces with a dark vengeance. There was still a 0.000000075% chance of inspiration emerging to attain victory. Seijuro's gaze slid to the closed door behind his friend.

She should be coming soon.

Time ticked by. He noticed that Shintarou was wearing his jumper inside out. And he was mildly entertained by the thought of how no one bothered to tell him throughout the morning…himself included. He wondered how long it would take him to notice, and he thought, he planned about all the work he had to do for the Basketball club, and all the things (_change win flow win game win_) that had to be done.

The door still remained firmly closed. Was she being held up?

Shintarou sat back against his chair, shaking his head. There was no way out of his imminent defeat. "I surrend—"

_BANG. _It was the door opening violently.

"Yoohoo! I'm here! Did you miss me?" Maika threw open the door with a flourish. She pulled up a chair, and sat facing their game like an overseeing judge.

"Who would miss _you_," Shintarou sniffed, crossing his arms haughtily.

Surprisingly, she must have been in an extremely happy mood, as he was met with no retaliation whatsoever. Just a brilliant, pitying smile.

"Don't smile at me with pitying eyes! That's revolting!"

"Haha! Sei-kun would miss me, right?" Maika clung to him like the monkey she was. He shot her a please-get-off-me-or-else look, and she let go, giving him a minimal amount of personal breathing space.

She still had the huge grin plastered on her face, her hands held up in a surrendering position. "Oops. Sorry. Forgot that you're still a bit of a prude."

"Pffft!"

"Maika..." he started warningly, ignoring Shintarou's muffled snickers.

She waved her hands in a gesture of apology. "Sorry, Sei-kun! I'm just a very touchy-feely person!"

Seijuro, with his amount of indefinite tolerance, allowed that to slide. It seemed that she still retained the maturity level of a five year old. Some things could never change.

"And that makes you more of a nuisance than you already were," Shintaro said snidely, as what was his habit: insulting people.

He might have gone a little too far this time.

Annoyance surged within her. She pulled out a gun. It was strapped against her stomach, under her shirt.

Don't worry, you read it right. Maika pulled out a _gun_.

"Sorenji, _where_ did you take that out from? And stop pointing it at me!"

Seijuro was surprised beyond belief, almost standing up to stop her. "Maika—you…"

"Don't worry, I'll just maim Tsuntarou. I won't kill him over something as trivial as this," she laughed. And she pulled the bloody trigger.

_Bang!_

A little silver ball hit the wall behind Shintaro. "Say hello to my BB gun, Dullahan! My mum bought this for me from a trip to New York, it's cool right? Dullahan is super cool, isn't it?"

Shocked silence.

"…isn't it?"

Seijuro was the first to recover. "You still can't bring a weapon to school, Maika."

She hugged it to her chest tightly, knowing (and exploiting the fact) that he wouldn't reach within her arms to take it off her. Akashi Seijuro would never stoop that low. "Aw, overlook it this once! Please? It's—"

"—My lucky item for tomorrow," Shintarou said slowly, adjusting his glasses. He denied the fact that he had been shocked into silence. It was erased from his mind. Denial is the key!

"That's right! Tsuntarou, you should be grateful that I brought my Dullahan to school." Maika pulled the safety lock down. "I'll let you borrow it after practice today…Nijimura-kun said he wanted to use it to freak out slackers at training."

_Nijimura's an S. _The sentiment remained unspoken amongst the trio. _Definitely an S_.

Tsundere-tarou, _Tsun_tarou remained silent as he kept touching his glasses, fidgeting. He wanted to express his gratitude, but at the same time, he was unsure how and he didn't want to thank the…thing—no, the person. (Congratulations, Maika, you've become a human being.)

The woes and troubles of being Midorima Shintarou!

Maika beamed at him, her useful-at-odd-times perceptiveness reading his behaviour with frightening accuracy. "You don't have to say thank you, Tsuntarou. Any friend of Sei-kun's is a friend of mine. No matter how weird and mean you are."

"…Hmm…" Tsuntarou muttered, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Seijuro smiled at his endearing at times/amusing at other times dishonesty. It seemed that Shintaro and Maika could maybe, have the remote possibility of tolerating each other.

"Wait a moment. What did you call me?"

"Tsuntarou, because Tsuntarou is a tsundere!"

"Cease that ridiculous pet name at once!"

She grinned. "No way. Tsuntarotsuntaro, tsun-tsun-tsuntaroooo!"

"Why, you—"

Seijuro refrained from the urge to silence them _for good_. Maybe he spoke too soon.

* * *

Anyway, the following week, Sorenji Maika was in for a huge surprise. I mean, it was such a bombshell; she nearly dropped the Vanilla milkshake she was holding onto the spotless basketball court. It would have been a nightmare to clean up.

You know, like dropping your drink onto carpet flooring and the stains are a pain to get out! Like getting tomato sauce stains on a white shirt?

But I digress.

"You two know each other?" She asked Tetsuya in awe. He nodded, taking the drink that she forced onto him whenever she dropped by for a visit. At first, he tried to pay the girl back, but she adamantly refused. Instead, Maika had told him to treat her to lunch someday…which he reluctantly accepted.

Daiki trotted up to the newcomer. "Hey, Sorenji. Gimme me some." He scratched his cheek, realising he should add the magic word. "…Please."

"Why are _you_ speaking so politely—ah, sure."

He plucked her Chocolate Mint Shake *LIMITED EDITION* from Maji Burger, out of her hands, guzzling it all.

"Hey! At least leave some left for me, Aomine-kun!"

"Tasted weird."

"Then don't drink it all!"

Daiki stuck his tongue out at her, while fanning himself. "But I was thirsty! A guy's gotta drink when he's thirsty!"

"THEN DRINK WATER!" Super Saiyan: Pissed-off mode was activated as she whacked him with a clipboard. Repeatedly.

"That. Was. My. Favourite. Drink."

_Whack whack whackwhackwhackWHACK!_

"_Itte!_ My arm—you demon!"

"That's right, I'll show you _hell_."

Tetsuya observed them with a blank stare, quaffing down his now favourite drink of all time: the famous Vanilla milkshake. Maika always bought it for _him_, after all. "That was an indirect kiss."

Chills ran down her back. "I deny it! No way, no way—just no way! It was _not!_"

"_Hah_? Are you in primary school or something!" Daiki bit out at Maika. "Direct or indirect kiss, like I care."

She nudged him violently. "Stop that! You're making me imagine it and that's weird! Definitely_, seriously_ weird!"

"Don't imagine it, idiot!"

"I-I can't_ un_imagine it, oh my gosh it's going to give me nightmares…" Maika groaned. "Kuroko-kun, why did you have to say that?" She shut her eyes to try to clear her brain from the terrible, terrible images.

"Tetsu, man…"

"I'm sorry."

"Argh!" Maika decided that she probably would be spared of any further trauma if she retreated from the conversation. She backtracked to the bench next to the court, and told them to continue practicing as well as ignoring her presence, which Daiki did with glee.

Paperwork and homework were waiting to be done. And she liked it, hearing their conversation and the ball bouncing and excited shouts (Daiki) in the background.

It made her feel like she actually had friends. Geez, she really hoped that she wasn't being too pushy…it would be a tad awkward if _she_ thought they were her buddies but they don't really think so and—

Okay. Focus on the work. Use the pen and start writing.

Maybe she'll rest her eyes just for one moment...

Time passed.

"Good shot, Aomine-kun."

"Haha, thanks!"

The sun had disappeared long ago, letting night invade. She woke up. Whoopsie! Wasn't supposed to fall asleep.

"You should dribble it the other way, Tetsu. S'better."

Another pen sat perfectly perched between a jutted out upper lip and her nose. She realised that the paper she was doodling on was paperwork for the basketball club. Oopsies?

Let's just pretend that the doodled sunflowers were part of the paper design. She rubbed her eyes, feeling like she was experiencing centuries of boredom.

"Look at this trick, Tetsu!"

"…How cool."

"Hehe, right?" Daiki grinned in an absurdly happy manner, she thought. No, it wasn't absurd at all. That type of smile only appeared when one loves something with all their heart.

She wanted to watch him.

Her eyes burned with curiosity as she watched the swarthy boy _fly_ around the court. One moment, he was at one side—and one blink—he was on the other side, dunking it into the hoop with the free spirited wildness of a beast.

It was refreshing. It was his abundant energy that made it hard for her to tear her eyes away from him. Enraptured by the light of his innate talent.

_Ball. Bounce. Run._

_Breathe. Feel so free so alive so happy!_

_DUNK THE BASKETBALL_.

It was an amazing feat for a middle school student to be able to dunk. Absolutely amazing.

She drank in his superb form as he played—with so much passion and drive and she could almost grasp his enthusiasm with her own hands, if she'd just reach out…

She walking towards him, drawn. Maika could feel it…the slow hum of brilliance that had begun to stir within him. And when it broke free, when his talent fully awakens—

The possibilities, the awe—how lucky she was going to be, to see this power unleashed!

Daiki turned, upon hearing her approach. "Oh, you're still here?"

"Amazing!" she breathed out, staring up at him. "Aomine-kun, someday you're going to be so amazing at basketball!"

She grinned. "Not that you're not amazing now, but even more so!"

"Sorenji…"Daiki rubbed the back of his head, unsure of how to reply at her sincere words. "Well, um…yeah?"

"It's going to be so cool! You'll be like—bam whoosh, wham, and everyone's going to be—going to be…"

"Haha, no need to sing my praises!" he laughed before giving her a suspicious look. "I have no money, you know."

"I was being honest with you!"

"Er, sure! Thanks, I guess."

"What's with that half-hearted response?"

"That's because…because…it feels weird when _you're_ being nice."

"_Eeeh?_ Somehow, that sounded insulting."

He watched them from the shadows. Tetsuya watched them—their carefree smiles, and light-hearted banter as they stood in the middle of the brightly lit court. Maybe one day, he could stand on the same court as Daiki. How he wished and wished and wished!

"Tetsu! Come here, how long does it take to get another ball?"

"Kuroko-kun, what are you doing, standing there all by yourself…" Maika strode over, lightly grabbing his hand and pulling him onto the court, into the light.

"Let's keep playing, Tetsu!"

He stumbled a bit. "Ah—yes, let's."

"Make sure you both keep yourselves hydrated!" Maika advised cheerfully. "I don't want anyone dying on the court."

"No-one's going to die, Sorenji!" Daiki threw a basketball at her. She dodged. "Tsk! Missed."

"Did you just click your tongue at me?" She shot him a Seijuro-inspired 'disapproving' look. He was the master of being disapproving. "Everyone dies one day, dearest Aomine-kun. Don't deny the inevitable."

He heaved a sigh. "Man, I hate it when people bring philosophical crap into conversations…"

"You mean you don't have the capacity to understand the difficult ideas?" She quipped.

"Shut it!"

Tetsuya smiled to himself. Maybe one day. As long as he could keep hoping, keep dreaming, keep improving…bit by bit…

Day by day, as long as he could keep getting better—his dream to stand on the same court where Aomine-kun was definitely waiting for him. One day.

He wanted to soar.

* * *

Will the rain ever stop?

"I'm thinking of quitting the basketball club."

_Our club's impossible for you_.

Torrents of disappointment poured down within his heavy, heavy heart. The sky will never clear, he thought. Just rain until I drown.

_I know that you've worked hard up until now._

Bright orange eyes regarded him carefully. No need to tread on eggshells around him, he wouldn't want any of her pity or pretty words. He just wanted to remain suspended in his sadness forever. Just him, alone.

Away from this classroom, this school…away from basketball!

No, not basketball!

Her gentle voice sounded harsh to his ears. "Kuroko-kun, may I ask why?"

…_It'll be near impossible for you to ever play in a match_.

What was the point of playing then? Practicing for fun? Was it all a waste of time, then? What he could do now was _nothing_.

Quit the club. Quit your dream. Just…let it go. Because you have no talent, you've been going nowhere _useless you're useless. _

How could he convey this mess of feelings to her?

Could she even understand?

Tetsuya stared down at his desk, feeling defeated. "The coach…I can't do anything. Especially in this school's team…"

_I'm useless_ went unsaid.

Maika opened her mouth to say something, tried to do something—what could _she _possibly do? She cast her eyes around the classroom—no one was looking their way, Yumi was deeply engrossed in a tragic romance novel—okay, _alright!_

A plan started to take form in her mind, and she was going to see it through. But first…

She reached over and took his hand, cradling his worn, pale ones within her own. Initially, he flinched at the contact.

"Sorenji…san?"

"These hands…you play basketball with them," she said slowly, staring him straight into his eyes, straight into his soul. She had moments where there was this wildness about her, a sort of free aura. This time, he felt like he was naked before her, all his faults and secrets laid bare.

She pierced through his defeated façade.

"You cannot say that you are useless, Kuroko-kun. Practicing harder than anyone else in the club, you cannot say it." She lowered her strong gaze, suddenly demure.

"Once you quit, you lose."

Maika smiled at him. "You can do it. Someone once said that nothing's impossible, as long as you wish hard enough for it."

"Who?"

She laughed lightly. "Peter Pan."

He had nothing to say. He could only feel.

_Warmth caring warmth Maika. Maika Maika Maika._

So this was Sorenji Maika. This was who she truly was.

He glanced at the closed novel on her desk."So you finally finished reading Murakami-sensei's book?"

"Yup! Kuroko-kun, I was crying so much at the end, I read the last passage over and over."

"Thanks for lending it to me. Really, thank you."

"No, thank _you_."

Finally, he smiled back at her. "I'm glad…" He revelled in how warm her hands felt against his and how gentle she held them.

_Oh, Sorenji-san. _

He was glad about a lot of things, he could have said so much more, but he just settled for those two words.

_I'm glad to have met you._

* * *

The happiness bubbled and bubbled and overflowed! She could feel the huge smile spreading over her face.

"Really? You're giving Kuroko-kun a chance?"

_Click_.

"A slim chance, Maika. It's a test to see if—"

She trapped him with a bear hug. "You're the best, Sei-kun! You're the best, the bestest of the bestest!"

"However, there's an overwhelming chance that he will fail. No one has ever passed my tests before."

No amount of rain could ruin her parade.

"The people before don't matter—it means that he has a tiny chance of passing, right? Yay!"

Seijuro patted her head lightly, trying to hint to her to get off in the nicest way possible. She didn't get the hint.

_Clack._ "Get a room, you two," Shintaro frowned. Maika (finally) let go of Seijuro, moving towards Tsuntaro slowly, an idea popping into her head.

"Such public displays of affection are unsight—this is assault! Unhand me now!" He stiffened as her arms snuck around his neck in a chokehold. "Air…can't breathe!"

_Click. _Seijuro waited patiently.

"Tsuntaro, who was it that lent you her precious, precious, limited edition Edamame fairy toy to help you with your lucky items? _Who was it_?"

"I'm…choking! Akashi! Keep your pet in check—ow!" Maika ground her knuckles, twisting them against the tender tissues of his temples. Quite painfully, I might add. Honestly, she was just messing with him.

_Cause it's fun!_

But there was someone else in the room. Someone who was really, really noticeable. Their stomach growled.

"Ah. Midorima-kun…who is that?" She gestured to a still figure sitting gloomily in the corner of the ex-classroom. The boy had his eyes glued to a mountain of snacks on the other side of the room since the dawning of creation...

She grabbed a box of pocky cautiously. His eyes followed her hand without fail.

Left! They followed.

Right! Still staring.

Up, down, up, down!

_Clack_. "That's Murasakibara Atsushi."

Maika gently placed the pocky down back into the pile. The poor boy was drooling.

"No, I meant…what is he doing there, in the corner?"

"Getting disciplined by Akashi."

"Okay…"

The tall purple giant had perked at the mention of his name. "Aka-chin…can I get out of the corner now?"

Seijuro glanced at the clock. Atsushi had been sitting in the naughty corner for about twenty minutes already. "You can. But don't do it again."

Maika watched with disbelief. _What was the offence? _

"Okay, I'll be a good boy." Atsushi answered, stealing Maika's seat next to Seijuro. She reluctantly sat next to Shintaro who was haughtily waiting for his opponent to make his move.

_Click_. "Ote."

"Damn it!"

"Too bad, Mido-chin," Atsushi commented blandly through a mouthful of sweets. He watched Maika eat a bar of Reese's chocolate (specially imported from America) with considerable envy. American chocolate tasted different from Japanese chocolate.

_Yummier_, he thought, as Maika broke off a piece from the back of the bar of happiness and offered it to him. He ate it all immediately.

"Would you like some, Murasaka… (_Can't remember his name_) Murasa…Mura-kun?" (Shintaro: She gave up remembering!)

Shintaro recovered quickly. "Heh. You forgot his name, Sorenji. Must have been that faulty memory of yours."

"Stop venting your frustration (at losing to Sei-kun) on me! I think Mura-kun sounded better, okay?"

Seijuro decided to add his own piece of advice in. "That was the third bar of chocolate I've seen you eat this week, Maika. You should be thinking of regulating the amount of unhealthy food you—"

"Not you too…you're talking like my dad now…"

Seijuro looked at her steadily. "You'll gain weight."

"You'll get _fat_," Shintaro echoed with concealed glee. Maika shot him a withering look, but unable to prove the statement wrong…as well as talk back to Seijuro. She loathed it when they double-teamed her.

Damn it.

"…I get it already. No need to say it twice," she mumbled petulantly. "At least Mura-kun is on my side, right?"

The tall purple giant watched the exchange with blank eyes. He cast a look at Maika.

"Who are you?"

A sort of surprised silence ensued. Seijuro calmly ate his tofu-abundant bento, ignoring the predicted scuffle between Shintaro and Maika.

"Hmpf—_hah_!"

"Can it, Tsuntaro!"

* * *

The days passed by meaningfully…but he still couldn't find the answer. Casting his mind back, Tetsuya recalled the beaming smile from Daiki when he told him that he was going to give it another try. He couldn't concentrate in class anymore.

"Psst! Kuroko-kun…" A hushed whisper caught his attention. Maika held up her exercise book full of half written notes…and doodles.

GOOD LUCK! I'M ROOTING FOR YOU!

Those words were written in a scrawled cloud, with badly drawn rainbows and basketballs surrounding it.

"Oww—Yumi-shan! It hurts!"

"Focus, you idiot!" her seatmate hissed at her. Interestingly, even after the change in seating arrangements, Maika had made sure (sweet smile ask to swap super nicely!) to take the seat next to his. Yumi followed, kicking out the unlucky/used to be lucky fellow next to Maika.

He smiled a bit when Yumi pinched Maika's cheek. Somehow, that'll never get old.

Anyway, onto more pressing matters…

Now…what could he do for the team? Passing? Which position, what should he do…think think think!

Well the only thing he was good at was passing and handling the ball. So the position he should aim for would be the Point Guard. Tetsuya scratched his head, feeling a sense of pride creep up on him. He recalled Seijuro's parting words.

_She seems to have high hopes for you. You know, she kept pleading to all the coaches and to me, to help you out. Don't disappoint us_.

The fact that Maika had tried to do something about his dilemma herself showed just how valuable a friend she was. How much she cared.

It was nice.

Feeling a little better, he looked out towards the blue, cloudless sky outside. He knew that the possibilities were as vast as the skies overhead. He just needed to choose the right one.

And so, a week of intense reflection passed when he finally stumbled upon the answer. They were walking to the station together, he and Daiki…and surprisingly, Maika was there as well. Winter was slowly taking over, and darkness pervaded the late afternoon. It was the three of them (everyone had went home earlier), and he felt less alone with Daiki on his right and Maika on his left.

It was the swarthy lad broke the companionable silence, curious about his progress. "So…how's it going? Have you found it already…the basketball that Akashi told you about?"

Um. How should he answer that?

"I'm still waiting for your amazing breakthrough as well!" Maika added an optimistic afterthought.

Tetsuya grimaced. "Not yet…I'm…still thinking."

"Thinking is good! Plutarch once said: The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled," she quoted proudly, satisfied that she could display that she was indeed, quite intelligent, no matter what her actions deemed her as otherwise.

"Yeah, yeah…good job at quoting dead people."

"That just shows that you don't understand anything, you basketball-maniac."

"Can't argue about the basketball-maniac. But…I do understand…some other stuff."

"Oh? Like what?" Maika probed, making Daiki look away. He didn't have an answer.

Luckily for him, Super-Tetsu was there to save the day. "You two shouldn't verbally attack each other all the time…" he began.

"Can't help it. She's an easy target."

"Hey!"

Tetsuya continued: "…It makes me think that you two actually get along well enough to argue. Maybe you're more similar than you think?"

Both waved their hands in immediate rejection of the idea. "No, not possible."

"Don't copy me, Aomine-kun!"

"_I _said it first, Sorenji!"

Maika crossed her arms. "Mmmm—I really wanted to insult you just then, but I won't. Cause I'm nice like that (Daiki: Sure you are) …Anyway, I'm sure you'll be able to pass the basketball test." She tilted her head, thinking on it. "Even though no-one's been able to reach his expectations…you can be the first!"

Being overly optimistic was also a fault. Tetsuya felt an enormous amount of pressure. It was like a boulder of heavy expectations squashing him flat on the ground. "Okay…I'll do my best."

Daiki patted his shoulder. "But…don't you think Akashi could be mocking you?" he laughed.

"That's horrible. Don't joke about it."

Maika frowned. "He would never do that! That's so nasty, Aomine-kun…you jerk!"

"The jerk part was unnecessary!"

It was like watching two small animals fight.

Most importantly, Akashi Seijuro…that guy was a bit mysterious. "…Aomine-kun, Sorenji-san…what's Akashi-kun like?"

They exchanged a glance, as if telepathically communicating to each other who should answer first. It was Daiki that spoke up.

"Akashi, huh? Well…he has a good head, and sees everything around him."

Tetsuya turned to Maika for her assessment. She smiled warmly as she talked. "He's very, very smart…so smart that you wouldn't believe he's the same age as us! Um…he always knows what he's doing—he's reliable, and super cool! And of course, he's really good at basketball. He's the best at being the Point Guard!"

She seemed to be very fond of him, he noted.

"I gotta agree with that…can't complain about him as Point Guard," Daiki added, clasping his hands behind his head.

But if Akashi-kun was that position...

"Then, it'll be wrong if I aim for that position…there would be a double up. This isn't the way for me to prove myself to be useful to Akashi-kun."

"Tetsu, you want to be a Point Guard?"

Maika also racked her brains. "Well that _is _the most suitable position for you."

Tetsuya agreed with her. "Akashi-kun told me he thought I could do something for the team…I'm not very good at shooting, so the only helpful things I can do are either assists or passes."

Daiki brought his hands down to tuck into his pockets. It was getting quite chilly, after all. "Hmph. Typical Akashi."

"I sense some insult in that phrase," Maika warned, jokingly waving a fist at him.

"You're reading into it too much!" He scratched his head almost shyly. "I just think I have a good idea for Tetsu…"

Little boy blue was very interested. "What do you mean?"

But Daiki was a bit of an idiot, and fell short of his expectations. "How about something like an awesome curving pass?" He swiped his hand back and forth to demonstrate the supposed trajectory of the ball. "Look at this, the banana pass!"

Maika: Haha, that's funny!

Tetsuya: That's impossible. Don't joke about it.

She laughed again, merry. "No, no—make it a teleporting pass…like _whoosh _and the ball's suddenly on the other side of the court...Or maybe like a invisible banana pass that no one can see!"

Tetsuya: That's even more impossible.

"Like a ghost banana pass!"

"G-ghost? I-I don't like ghosts!"

Daiki smelt weakness! "Well, one time…in Tokyo Stadium…this guy _died _during a game, and guess what?"

Maika swallowed. Was it getting colder or something? "W-what?"

He wiggled his fingers, adopting a look of terror. "Till this day, when the clock strikes midnight…he still lingers there!"

"S-scary!"

He suddenly leaned closer to her. "He'll _get you_. With his ghost pass!"

"Stop it…you're f-freaking me out."

"He'll haunt youuuuu."

Maika wondered if she should get some holy water. For protection. And some garlic and onions and an exorcist. Yellow pages should be sitting in some cupboard, collecting dust.

Tetsuya sighed. "Like I said…that's impossible—Ah." They had walked past a bookstore.

"Sorry, there's a book I want."

"Oh. See you tomorrow," Daiki bade him goodbye.

"Aw…I don't want to walk home with this guy who can camouflage in the dark," Maika complained half-jokingly.

"Hey!"

"See you tomorrow, Kuroko-kun!"

He walked in, towards his answer as the two left walked on. Soon, he told himself. Soon, he could walk with them.

By their side.

* * *

"Here you go!"

A paper bag was placed on his desk. Tetsuya pointed at it while giving Maika a curious stare.

She leaned her head on a hand as she relaxed in her seat next to him, smiling gently. "For you, as congratulations."

Again…that burden of expectations. However! He also felt happy that someone believed in him so much. "But…"

"It's today, isn't it? I heard from Sei-kun that today is the combination-training day for third and second string. It's time to prove yourself worthy, Kuroko-kun!"

Her shining eyes were focused on him. "It's your time!"

Yumi decided to add her cents worth as well. "Good luck, Kuroko-kun. And if it makes you feel better, you can ignore that idiot's idiot-talk."

"How—nevermind. Thank you Takeda-san, Sorenji-san." He nodded at Yumi, and tried not to be blinded by the other's expectant smile. "Is there something wrong, Sorenji-san?"

"Open it. It's nothing big…just something for good luck, maybe?"

He slowly reached towards the obscure-looking bag.

Tetsuya took out a pair of black wristbands. By the feel of them, they were the highest quality of microfiber on the market—and the brand was American. Most importantly, messily stitched into the inlay were the words: _Kuroko no Basuke_.

_The basketball that I play_. The contribution that he'll have on the team. Staying in the club, and to continue playing basketball…it was so close!

Touched, he smiled. Once again, he found himself thanking her.

And when the judgement was passed—words couldn't describe the elation, the relief, and the sheer euphoria that encompassed the very essence of his soul.

_You'll be joining the first string from today on._

_Do your best._

Finally. _Finally_.

* * *

**つづく**

* * *

**OMAKE: Nijimura the Sadist Stalker**

* * *

_Dear Mr God,_

_It's Winter. And it's really cold._

_I have become a stalker._

_Is that a sin?_

_Sincerestly, Maika._

**[Subject is walking slowly, glaring at everyone. He also just littered, the scumbag!]**

Maika followed behind Haizaki Shougo as inconspicuously as she could be. Strangers watched her leap behind (and accidentally into) various telegraph poles as hiding places. Fortunately, the scumbag wasn't paying any attention to Maika's kerfuffle behind him.

Apparently, being a helper meant doing all the jobs no one wanted to do. And hence, Sorenji Maika the stalker was born. She typed another message to the instigator of this borderline crime.

**[The subject has entered an Adult bookshop…is that even legal?]**

_Bzz. Bzz._

"A reply from Nijimura-kun!" Maika flipped open her phone to read the message from the Basketball captain, Nijimura Shuzo. He had been promoted to Captain, and Seijuro to Vice-Captain, much to Maika's chagrin. _Sei-kun should have been captain. _And she got a good old noogie from Shuzo for voicing her thoughts.

[Sorenji, stop giving EVERY SINGLE DETAIL AND JUST TELL ME WHERE HE IS SO I CAN KICK HIS ASS FOR TRYING TO SKIP PRACTICE.]

"Woah…I can feel the anger through the full stop at the end," she muttered, waiting for the scumbag to come out of the Erotica bookstore.

**[62 Rainbow Street, Shibuya. Are you nearby?]**

[Hell yeah, I will find him and END HIM.]

**[Scary…with Dullahan?]**

[DAMN RIGHT I'M USING THE BB GUN ON HIM]

Maika peeked out from behind a telegraph pole to see _Erozaki_ (newly dubbed) saunter out, a bag of mature-age magazines under his arm. She stalked him, sticking amongst the shadows as to not attract attention. It wasn't embarrassing at all. No, not embarrassing, never embarrassing!

"Teiko Middle students are becoming weird…"

"_What_ is she doing?"

"She's a stalker!"

Maika blushed a little bit, but continued on undeterred. _Come on, let this be over already!_

**[Subject has arrived in Sakura Lane, near fringes of Red Light District. Can you see either of us?]**

[Yes. I SEE THAT LITTLE SHIT.]

And sure enough, Maika watched, fascinated, as the scary basketball captain appeared out of nowhere and caught Erozaki. He was dragged into a dark alleyway, and promptly nearly beaten to death.

"It hurts!"

"That's what you get for trying to skip practice!"

"I won't do it again! I prom—argh!"

"Buying porn instead of training?"

"O-of course not!"

"… Just because we won the Nationals doesn't mean that you can slack off, HAI-ZA-KI-_KUUUN_."

"EEEEK! I'm sorry I'm sorry! Just put the gun away! D-don't point it at my balls!"

"_HAI-ZA-KIIIII-KUUUUUN…"_

"Spare my—FUCK that HURTS!"

_Bang. BangbangBANG!_

An unearthly scream filled the air.

Maika casually checked the time. It was only ten minutes to four. They could get back in time for a good one and a half hour of practice, thanks to the Captain's hell-bent stalking. Nijimura Shuzo would fit right in with the Yakuza, she thought as she dialled the Vice-captain's number.

"Sei-kun?" She smiled, even though he couldn't see her. "Nijimura-kun found Haizaki-kun." Maika listened carefully to his voice, noting that it had become deeper than before. But it still had a nice, lulling quality to it—she had always loved hearing him speak.

"Okay. Got it. Never miss practice again? He probably will, but I'll tell him. Uhuh. See you later."

"AAAIIIIEEEEEEE! STOP SHOOTING ME WITH THE BB GUN!"

"_Kora! _Get back here, I'm not done with you yet!"

"I'll die, it'll _fall off!_ I'm serious, it'll fucking fall—_EEEEEK!"_

Maika patted herself on the back. "And _that_, is why you have to come to practice, Erozaki. My Dullahan is the best!"

No one dared to mouth off against Nijimura Shuzo ever again after the Haizaki Incident. No one.

* * *

**End Notes**

_I hope you liked my take on the first part of the PLOT. IT'S MOVING, THE PLOT'S MOVING!_

_Tsuntaro and Maika might…get along now? Ah…and Mura-kun—I tried to capture his character with the 'Who are you?' part. It's not like he and Maika could become best buddies for life in the first second or something._

_Anyway, updates will become slower because I'm getting busier. But do not worry, I will never abandon this story! No matter how long the absence, I will return!_

_The Omake was something I couldn't fit into the story, but still wanted to publish. I hope you liked it!_

_There will be a lot of friendship fluff between Maika and the Miracles, and coincidentally, Tetsu-kun was first! By the way, the next update will be in about two weeks, so I apologise in advance. I was going to hold this one off, and then I was like: whatever, I'll just upload it now. _

_Who do you want to appear most in the story? _

_Love you, thank you all for the reviews and follows and favourites and support!_

_**Tollpatsch**_


	12. Praised

**オレンジ色の日々**

_**Orenji-iro no hi**_

* * *

**ORANGE DAYS**

* * *

**Part Two: Sprout**

"Respect was invented to cover the empty place where love should be."  
― Leo Tolstoy, _Anna Karenina_

* * *

**Twelve: Praised **

Maika was resolute.

"Kisa Ryousuke is the enemy! Do you understand?"

She pointed at the golden boy with a determined finger.

"Huh? Me?" Ryouta gestured to himself helplessly, totally confused at the sudden turn of events.

The members of the second string rose up from their defeated positions. "Yes, ma'am!"

"Don't baby the newbie!" She pronounced, holding a basketball up like it was a trophy.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Who's the enemy?"

"Kise!" A military-like war cry resounded in the second gymnasium.

"I said, who's the ENEMY? LOUDER, YOU PANSIES!"

It grew into a chant. "KI-SE! KI-SE! KI-SE!"

Maika nodded at the renewed fire that burned within the players. "Good. Now you will defeat, crush, pound Kisa Ryosuke into the ground! Go, soldiers, march onwards!"

They saluted her. "Yes, ma'am!"

"FIGHT-O!" Cheers erupted in the gym, and the members moved with vigour.

And throughout the whole exchange, the poor golden boy in question was thoroughly baffled.

Maybe even slightly offended.

* * *

It all started when Seijuro said something to her that was life changing. Actually, everything he said were like words from the Bible, but this was especially inspirational.

"The best way to contribute is to decisively grasp opportunities to improve your worth."

He needed to write a book of Japanese proverbs! Such wonderful words!

Maika dropped her bento (Atsushi caught it: _Safe!_ and finished it for her), touched by his wise words.

Best. Contribute. Opportunities. Improve.

Her delusional mind pondered on the words at lightning speed, reading and twisting the meaning underneath the meaning underneath the meaning until all intended meaning had disappeared, replaced by her own fantasies.

_Sei-kun likes people who help the basketball club! I need to prove myself!_

Her eyes shone with determination, and she stood up enthusiastically.

Shintaro, who had seen through her, sighed. "What you are thinking right now is light years away from—"

"Be quiet, Tsuntarou. I'm thinking."

He didn't like being interrupted, but today was Cancer's lucky day (pretty good mood), so he just huffed and proceeded to ignore the stupid girl. Nothing she did was his business. He didn't care, of course he didn't care_ why should he care_?

Maika finally realised that her lunch was demolished by one guilty giant. She unleashed hell fire onto him, and was subsequently restrained by Seijuro.

So, the general gist of this snapshot of inspiration was that Maika convinced herself to contribute to the basketball club, all for some praise from dear Sei-kun. Of course, this was all in her delusions. She preferred to live in a world suspended between her fantasies and reality.

(Author: I wonder what would happen if she got her hands on crack.)

She decided to consult everyone she knew about this dilemma. Being praised by someone like Seijuro required a whole universe of effort.

The hunt began at lunch the next day.

She saw Daiki walking back from the cafeteria and apprehended him then and there, just before he could take the first bite of his extra long chicken roll.

"Hey, Aomine-kun!"

He gave a longing glance at his lunch. "Yo."

"What do you think I could do to contribute to the basketball club?"

Err…what had she been _smoking?_

"Hah?"

She pressed on. "What should I do for the team?"

The boy spent a lot of effort to try and think, but gave up almost immediately. "…Polish more balls? I dunno."

Well, that was a failure.

Maika smiled understandingly, patting his shoulder (had he grown taller?). "It's alright. I know that thinking so much must be hard on you."

"Wha—hey!" She nicked off before he could say anything in defence of himself. He looked back at his awaiting lunch.

"It's just you and me now. Hn. Itadakimasu." He was just about to eat it when—

"Dai-chan!" He dropped his lunch onto the bacteria infested floor.

Rest in peace, chicken roll.

"What do you all _want_ from me, Satsuki?"

* * *

Alright, the next victim was…coming out of the Astronomy Clubroom?

"Hi, Tsuntarou!" She called out to him cheerfully. He walked faster.

"Oi, why are you walking away?"

Shintarou turned the corner quickly, and broke into a run. "Stay away from me—An Aries will give me bad luck today!"

"Hey!" She rushed after him, not willing to let him escape. "Midorima-kun? Tsuntarou! Wait for me!"

They ended up sprinting through the hallways, attracting attention left, right and centre.

"Don't follow me! Don't talk to me! Don't even breathe the same air as me!"

"Why? I need to ask you something!"

"Like I care!" He accelerated.

Thankfully, a large group of tightly packed girls had blocked his vamoose. They were screaming about…something vague that she didn't really care about—the only thing that mattered was the goal in front of her.

She clutched the water bottle in her hand with more force as she leapt onto his back, her legs constricting his waist like an anaconda. Great tackle, I might add. "I gotcha, Tsuntarou!"

The force of impact sent him crashing onto the floor face-first.

"Kyaa!"

"Someone fell—"

"Can someone still get me Kise-kun's autograph?"

"Poor guy."

"Tackled?"

"That girl…"

A number of things happened after that.

One: His glasses broke. Again.

Two: He hit his head _hard_ on the floor, and felt a little woozy.

Three: The bottle of water in Maika's hand was open (that idiot) and the contents spilled over his head and tricked down his back in the most uncomfortable way.

Four: Maika was heavy. Enough said. (Did she do weightlifting? Because it sure felt that way.)

"Ah. My bad." She smiled toothily from her comfortably seated position on his poor back.

His expression darkened. Shintarou was doing a slow burn. "So-ren-_jiii_. You clumsy _FOOL_!"

This time, _Maika_ did the running away.

Later that day, she racked her brains for the next person to ask (terrorise). It was during her free period that she bumped into two unexpected people at the vending machine, who had also, didn't expect each other, to be there.

"Hurry up, Atsushi! I have places to _be_ rather than waiting behind yer' fat ass."

"I don't care, Zaki-chin."

"You retard, I said—" Haizaki Shougo turned upon hearing Maika approach. His attitude did a complete one-eighty…because she was a girl. "If it isn't Maika…looking for me? Have you finally come to your senses about Akashi?"

She frowned at Erozaki. "I don't know what you're going on about."

Atsushi turned around from clearing out the snacks from the machine to greet her. "Renji-chin."

"Hiya, Mura-kun."

Haizaki Shougo didn't like being ignored.

The overly familiar boy slung an arm over her shoulder, bringing her close to press against him. His hand was awfully close to her chest. "Whatever…anyway, why don't we go out this afternoon on a—"

She elbowed him in the gut. "You _do_ know that I will ask Nijimura-kun or Sei-kun to give you extra laps for being sleazy, don't you, Haizaki-kun?"

He finally let her go, his hands going in his pockets. "Yeah yeah…Sei-kun this, Sei-chan that—I get it, I get it. Your world revolves around Akashi. Makes you blind to everything else."

"So what if it does?" She challenged him snootily. "I'm happy just the way I am." Maika pursed her lips, glaring at the ground.

Erozaki let out his annoyance by kicking an unfortunate Atsushi in the legs. The large hand of judgment immediately descended on his grey head of hair.

"You made me press the wrong button, Zaki-chin." That was not the right snack.

Erozaki bristled, not scared by the difference in size at all. "Oh yeah? What do you want?"

"Pay me back."

"You already cleaned out almost the whole vending machine already!"

The two squabbled back and forth continuously. Maika scratched her head awkwardly, unable to find the right timing to ask them (mostly Mura-kun) about her quest for glory.

And Erozaki was a little strange.

So she left them to their own devices, and grabbed hold of Satsuki during the afternoon's club activities. Maika was waiting for the first string coach to sign some forms, and Satsuki looked free, so the girl sidled (not at all suspiciously) up to her.

"What are you looking at?" Satsuki jumped at the sudden voice. She tore her eyes away from a certain phantom sixth player and tried to calm her racing heart.

"N-nothing!"

"Oh really? I swear it was one of those basketball players, _right_?" Maika teased her, pointing (coincidentally) to the group Tetsuya was training with. She grinned widely. "Is it a crush?"

Satsuki stiffened. She lowered her gaze onto the polished wooden floor, finding the texture very interesting.

"Hm? Well?"

"N-no…I'm just a bit confused, and, and…um."

"And what?" Orange eyes glowed with curiosity. _Tell me_, they said. _Tell me the secret!_

"It's just…I'm...i-interested in how he plays b-basketball, as a member of the first string, that's i-it!"

Maika looked over to the group of boys again, analysing their movements, their faces, and their normal mannerisms. Aha, so _that's _whom she meant. "You mean Kuroko-kun?"

A stunned, pink-faced look rewarded her the answer. "Mai-chan, how—"

Maika laughed. "Lucky guess? I don't know…but that guy's a super interesting person. Acts like that normally...and is kind of _mysterious_ and makes you kind of …_right?_" She lightly nudged Satsuki in the side, playful.

"_Mou_…you're teasing me."

"Haha, sorry!"

Satsuki glanced back at Tetsuya, admiring his form secretly. She'd like to get to know him better, you know—talk to him a bit more. It wasn't a crush! "You're _so_ not sorry," she muttered, embarrassed at the teasing.

Maika grinned—this was a new side of Satsuki that she didn't know, after all. It was interesting and exciting…this visage of a girl in love, no matter how much she says otherwise.

_How cute_.

* * *

Love.

She'd never given this notion, this unexplainable, foreign feeling much thought. Maika knew that it made people so happy that they could soar to the heights of heaven. And when it went bad, it sucked people into the dark abyss of despair. It made people sacrifice for others; it made them unconditionally loyal and trusting. It had no conditions, pure love, that is. But who was she to judge what was pure and what was not?

Love made you blind. Love made you see. A paradox.

She pondered this strange concept as she walked home that day. And then she decided that one thing was certain. Certain for her.

"To fall in love with someone…might be nice." She watched the last few blossoms of _sakura _float onto the footpath.

And then, with a jolt—no—a clap of thunder, she remembered that she had forgotten to ask Satsuki about her dilemma.

But worry not, because during the next day the answer came, as unexpected as a meteorite landing on the school and obliterating everyone into flaming dust particles.

It happened during the free period.

"How about recruiting promising members?" A little blue genius, the future target of a peach girl's affections, suggested absent-mindedly—having long abandoned his science homework in favour of reading a detective novel.

She sat, stoned, in her seat.

It was settled, it was universal: Kuroko Tetsuya was a genius in the making. But—

"Wait a second."

"…What is it, Sorenji-san?"

"All the people…that I can ask are already in the basketball club!" She cried out, realising that her friends, acquaintances…everyone she knew were members of the basketball club.

All except Yumi. Argh…it was so sad that the amount of people who she interacted with could be counted on one hand.

She led a sad, lonely life.

* * *

So Maika set out on a journey of thousand miles to find the perfect recruit. She walked and walked and walked…until she couldn't even remember why she was so eager anymore.

Wait. Sei-kun. Praise. Smiles.

Okay, objective has been remembered!

She strolled home together with Yumi. The scent of cherry blossoms still lingered in the air as the footpaths were strewn with the petals. An amiable silence engulfed the two, as they just enjoyed spending time together. Maika looked up into the overhanging branches of the pink blossoms, letting the dappled afternoon sunlight wash over her face.

She took a relaxing breath in.

"Hey, Yumi-chan."

"What?"

"TWAS. What's that, a club in our school?"

Yumi stopped in her tracks. "H-how do you know this?"

"The girls were talking about it in the change rooms...and I didn't really understand."

"It's a secret club," She replied stiffly.

"For what?"

Certain things are better left buried!

"…You don't need to know."

"Eh? Come on, I can take it." They sauntered deeper into the park.

"It—it stands for…the Temple of Worship of Akashi Seijuro."

A brief silence.

Maika fell flat on her face. (Yumi: _Woah are you alright?_) But she hopped back up, her forehead red.

Yumi eyed her concernedly. _Seriously, that doesn't look—_

Unbeknownst to her, Maika's brain computed the information with lightning speed.

_Worship. Akashi. Group of friends that admire Sei-kun yes people same thoughts I want group worship yes—_

Her eyes twinkled. "How do you join?"

She was rewarded with a sorely missed cheek pinch. "Don't," Yumi grit out. "Don't join, don't think about it and don't _speak_ about it."

"Shwhy?"

"Because." Yumi struggled with the next words. "There's an Omertà…of the Shrines. These groups are secret, underground crazies…and everyone who is _not a girl_ is strictly forbidden to know about them. So you can't."

"There's more?" Maika gasped. "Um, um…I heard about OBL!"

"Order of Boys Love."

"And…KRAS?"

"Kise Ryouta Appreciation Sect."

Maika crossed her arms, trying to match the name to a face. Kise Ryota…Kise Ryota…Kise…

Nope. Nada. Zilch. "Mmmm…Kise, Kisa…what does he look like?"

"Tall, blonde, good-looking. A model—we went and checked him out last year, don't you remember _anything_ in that goldfish brain of yours?"

Ouch. Sometimes, the insults really do sting. Maika let her gaze wonder to the adjacent courts from the footpath. Someone was playing basketball. She analysed his figure distractedly.

_Tall. _

"Alright…I'll get this in—_ssu!" _An enthusiastic voice floated over faintly from the fair distance away.

Maika watched the basketball fly in a perfect arc into the hoop. Three pointer.

_Blonde._ She squinted, using her sharp eyesight to discern his features. _Good-looking_.

Yumi waved a hand in front of her face. Maybe the fall really did do some damage upstairs. "Hello? Anybody home?"

_Teiko uniform. Spotted!_

She pointed to something behind Yumi, grinning. "Kisa-kun!" Maika took off, leaving Yumi to try and decode whatever strange thoughts the goldfish had running through her noggin'.

"Wait. Which way did she go again?"

* * *

People say that love strikes like thunder.

For Ryouta, it was a basketball that hit his head just at the right spot. A little concussed (and pissed), he staggered to where it had flown from to give them a (polite) piece of his mind. And it was there where he felt Cupid's arrow drive straight through his heart.

So he secretly watched the chocolate guy—no, _Aominecchi_ play basketball. Before he memorised their drills.

He had to practice (more like run through all the moves) a bit before making his grand entrance into the club after all. So today he snuck out the back gate, away from his adoring fans…to this out-of-the-way park to train. It was quiet, and peaceful.

"Hey! Kisa-kun!" A very female voice called.

Quiet. And. Peaceful.

"Kisa-kun! Oi!" Ryota turned, wiping the resigned look off his face. Man…he really didn't want to deal with a fan when he was just getting into the groove.

The girl was running at top speed, her hair flying everywhere. She looked vaguely familiar—like he'd seen her somewhere before…

Teiko uniform. Cool, the same school. Must've passed her in a corridor or something.

She stopped at the fence. "Where's the door?" The girl looked confused, and then seemed to discard all reason as she _clambered over it_ like a monkey.

_N-NINJA?_

There goes his plan of making a quick break for it.

She stopped in front of him, flashing him a bright smile. Hey, hey—this chick was pretty cute. He didn't mind cute fans coming up to him once in a while.

Eeeerrr...Just not now.

"Hiya, Kisa-kun!"

He forced out a smile. _Kisa-kun? That's not my name._ "Hello. You see, now's not a good—"

A piece of paper was shoved rather indelicately in his face. "Will you sign this for me?" Right after, a pen nearly took his eye out.

Ryouta accepted her request, his model-mode switched on. "Of course, in this box here?"

"Uhuh!" The orange-haired girl bobbed her head excitedly.

He signed his signature with a flourish, hoping that she would leave once he finished. "Here you go."

She smiled, taking the paper and reading over the other black text on top of his signature. She began writing something above his paper fervently. Must be some loving fangirl letter?

The kind of attractive girl nodded to herself, apparently satisfied. "Okay. Kisa-kun. Trainings for the second string will be Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays…as well as Tuesday and Thursday mornings. However…once you show them your skills and stuff to get into the first string, it'll be every afternoon. Ah—but I'm not saying it's bad, you'll just have to start at a level a little lower because you've joined a year later than everybody else."

_Huh?_

What was she rattling on about? This was one crazy fan. He stared at her. "H-hai—ssu?"

She gave him a searching look—right into his eyes! His fans never looked him in the eyes! And there was something…_raw_ in her clear gaze that unnerved him—just a teensy bit.

Holding up the 'autograph', the bolded words: **Club Application Form** stared back at him. "You said you'd join the basketball club," she said slowly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world and that he was an idiot for not knowing.

"W-when did I say that?" he squeaked, utterly confused.

"Why, you signed it. So you're in the basketball club now." She grinned. "And I get to take all the credit for recruiting you! I'm going to be praised for finding such a diamond in the rough!"

'Ulterior motive' was plastered all over her face as she celebrated.

She patted his shoulder. "I'm Sorenji Maika. Nice to meet'cha!"

"O-kaaay."

Maika gripped his—_ouch_—shoulder, a menacing tone in her voice. "And you better come to training, Kisa-kun. People who skip will go to hell. _Okay_?"

Behind her smile hid a monster!

He paled. "Yes ma'am."

It was okay. He had intended on joining the basketball club sooner or later anyway. It made no difference.

Or so he thought.

"Strip, please," the definitely-not-his-fan-girl said.

_Strip._

_Strip?_

_STRIP?_

EXCUSE ME?

* * *

"You know, for a guy…you're kind of scrawny."

_Geh. This girl…_

Beads of sweat dripped of his beautiful face because he was forced into some monstrous 'body-strengthening' training by a devil with an angel's face. Push-ups, sit-ups, laps, suicides, strange yoga positions…the _whole lot_.

It was hell.

Maika tilted her head sideways, her lips pursing into her thinking face. "Hmm. I think you should run through the set two more times."

Ryouta was laid out on the court spread eagle, too busy gasping for breath than to bother to answer her. This chick was kind of crazy.

And why the hell was he even listening to her?

He sighed, looking up at the darkening orange sky—the hues casting a dim lighting onto the landscape. That's it. He was going to go home, and avoid this girl at all costs. At school, he'll make sure their paths never cross _ever_ again and—

Something refreshingly cold was pressed against his cheek. "Here. A popsicle for you. Choose one."

He helped himself to the lemon-flavoured one.

Maika smiled proudly at him. It felt weird, seeing someone's face from an upside down view. "I was probably too hard on you…so I think you've done fantastically—how long have you been playing basketball?"

Ryouta sat up. "I just started today."

She laughed. "I mean, seriously."

"Seriously, Sorenji-san. I've never played until today."

Her eyes shined with curiosity. "Never? Not in primary school, never in gym class? Never, ever?"

"Never, ever," he clarified, a small smile on his face.

"Wow! That's amazing! I think I have a newfound respect for you, Kisa-kun!"

Er, so she didn't respect him until now?

Again. _Kisa_. Was she getting his name wrong to get under his skin? Because it was working. It was really working!

"Kise. Kise Ryouta—that's my name."

She stared at him, unblinking. "No."

_WHAT? NO? WHY?_

"…I like 'Kisa' better. Ah—but, when you get into the first string I'll call you by your name properly. And then you can call me whatever you want, how about that—an incentive!" Maika held a finger up, enthusiastically spouting the words out.

He didn't need such an incentive to improve. All he needed was some willpower, and just watch, Sorenji Maika. _Kise _Ryouta will be joining the regulars in no time.

Ryouta found himself reciprocating her smile, to his surprise. "Alright. Don't underestimate me."

"Haha! Of course I'm not." A few peaceful moments of silence passed between them as they enjoyed their cold treats…before a visage of terror appeared. A pale, ghostly hand descended on Maika's head.

The apparition breathed out ancient curses, her long black hair masking her face. "Mai…you look comfortable, don't you?"

Ryouta watched her squirm with a guilty satisfaction.

"Y-yumi-chan! What a coincidence, right—owowowowowow!"

"YOU LITTLE BRAT, COINCIDENCE MY ASS! YOU. ARE. SO. _DEAD_," said THE GRUDGE.

…

Intermission: The following content has been censored for the benefit of the readers.

_Please imagine a child Akashi Seijuro tap dancing in a tutu._

…

"I'm very sorry for your trouble, Kise-kun! Mai, here…she's a special child so please don't take whatever she says to heart." Yumi bowed apologetically.

Her demeanour did a one-eighty when she addressed Maika. "You bow too!" she snapped at the girl who was nursing her abused cheeks.

Maika stared at the asphalt ground below her feet with slight defiance. Finally, after a long while, she bowed as well.

"M'very sorry," she mumbled. "But if I don't see you at training tomorrow, _you'll_ be sorry one."

Great. So right after a supposed sincere apology, this girl makes threats.

"Yumi-shan that hurts!"

Yumi huffed at her, still annoyed at being left behind. She had gotten lost in the park without Maika. She was used to being chauffeured everywhere—so it was a perfectly legitimate reason to be lost!

I-It's not like she was d-directionally challenged o-or anything like that!

Ryouta felt his eye twitch. "It's alright. She's a nice girl," he said slowly, trying to convince himself as he said it.

And when Maika lifted her head, grinning at him, maybe he _was_ persuaded. Just a little.

* * *

_Hmmm…_

Maika crossed her arms, watching the practice closely. These guys were moving oddly today.

"Pass!"

"Alright!"

_Hmmm…_

"Damn, Kise stole it!"

"Get the ball back!"

_Hmmm…_ She stroked her chin, a little fish of thought swimming out into the open.

The training match ended for a half-time break, and she decided she should act now, while the members were too tired to react.

"Alright, listen up everyone!" Heads turned towards her.

"You must be discouraged at seeing Kisa-kun playing so well on his first day. Not to mention, he's also popular, good-looking, a model _and _talented at basketball."

Each word was like a stab to the groin. Had Sorenji-chan left them for Kise?

BETRAYAL WAS HARSH.

Maika clenched her fists passionately. "But, aren't you sick of it all! Haven't you had enough of that sexy bastard already?"

Some murmured agreement floated towards her.

"When you're walking in the corridor, you don't want to automatically move out of his way anymore!"

Some people cheered at that.

"You don't want to fake a smile whenever the girl you've liked for _ages_ comes up to you for the first time in your life…only to ask about _him!_"

This induced much whooping and grunts in affirmation. Seems like most of them were affected by that statement.

Encouraged by the support and the hopeful expressions, she continued.

Maika was resolute.

"Kisa Ryousuke is the enemy! Do you understand?"

* * *

That slight (non-existent) crease near his eyes! That tiny (you'll need a microscope) lifting of his lips! It was that unnoticeable 'pleased' expression!

Sei-kun was smiling, _smiling_ at her! (Shintaro: He's not really smiling)

"I was prompted by the Coach to see the rumoured Kise-kun play. I must say…he has potential. You have done well in recruiting him, Maika."

The girl beamed at him, very proud of herself. Sei-kun was praising her, _praising_ her!

"Hmph. Akashi's pet indeed," Shintarou muttered, _just_ loud enough for Maika to hear.

The moment was ruined.

She was going to stand up to give that tsundere cult follower a nice high five on his face when something wet was spilled all over her skirt.

It was Atsushi's super-sweet can of...whatever it was...so sweet that it tasted funny (it looked funny as well, like little tadpoles were swimming in the yellow liquid) that covered her.

The sticky stuff trickled over her stockings, and she felt her soul making a quick departure to the netherworld. However, it was pulled back immediately when she replayed happy memories.

_You have done well._

Recharged!

"Oops. Sorry, Renji-chin."

Her eyes held a strange glint in them as she turned on him robotically. "Mura-kun."

He stiffened. But he needn't have worried, because Maika's happiness level was still on cloud nine. It was like she was floating!

"Does anyone have a hair dryer?"

Shintarou held up his lucky item, slowly, slowly…a little afraid of seeing her snap. "I do."

Seijuro calmly ate his lunch with the utmost grace, not paying any attention to the drama happening near him.

"Water?"

Atsushi immediately stole Shintaro's water bottle to give it to her. Tsuntarou didn't even protest.

The two watched her prance outside the classroom, _humming_.

The Akashi-ecstasy-effect was terrifying.

* * *

**つづく**

* * *

**End Notes**

_KISEEEE! MY GOLDEN BABY!_

_Excuse me as I retreat into a corner and spaz about. _

_Ahem._

_I'm glad people are enjoying this story. I have a vague master plan of where the plot will go. I hope you will keep reading this to the end, because I have a good feeling about it…Gosh I swear I'm not a sadist but I am really looking forward to writing the angst parts. _

_And I think I've saved the best till last. I mean, who doesn't like a good dose of man-model-talent candy, Kise Ryota? He's the last GoM! And there was a LOT of foreshadowing this chapter. Maika really ran around a lot…and all for who? I wonder why? But you can all interpret it the way you want it to be. _

_ALL the pieces have been assembled. Hehehehe…Haizaki says some very insightful things, doesn't he?_

_I am totally interested in all of your thoughts. _

_Much Love,_

_**Tollpatsch**_


	13. By Your Side

**オレンジ色の日々**

_**Orenji-iro no hi**_

* * *

**ORANGE DAYS**

* * *

**Part Two: Sprout**

"If I had a flower for every time I thought of you...I could walk through my garden forever."

― Alfred Tennyson

* * *

**Thirteen: By Your Side **

"So…why were you late?" Satsuki patted Maika's gloom away. She had arrived much later than everyone else to the early morning practice and had just been yelled at by tyrant-Nijimura.

It must have been mentally scarring.

The age-old excuse didn't work: I was helping an elderly man with his groceries!

Yeah, right.

"It was the truth!" she moaned to the manager. Her wide eyes pleaded for Satsuki to believe her as she pumped more air into the basketballs.

"Don't you believe me?"

The two were chatting (whilst doing work of course) in the storeroom.

"Of course I do—Mai-chan…it's just that too many people have used it as an excuse before."

Maika handed the newly pumped ball to Satsuki before she got to work on the pile of deflated ones. She smiled at the memory of the nice old man. He had given her candy as thanks and even invited her to tea.

She was definitely going.

"You know…the old man's name is Nakamura Makoto-san."

Satsuki didn't really see the significance of the name, so she indulged the other girl with a noncommittal response. "Oh, okay?"

Maika waved her hand airily. "I did some research because his name was familiar…from one of Sei-kun's favourite grandpa documentaries…He's a Meijin in the Shogi world, nothing too big…maybe 1000 victories?"

She smiled to herself, waiting for the reaction…

"Wow! What an impressive person!"

She felt fulfilled. A certain someone would be _very_ interested. Even with his busy schedule, he would definitely squeeze some time out for a Shogi Meijin.

_Oh Maika you sly thing. _

* * *

_Tap. Tap._

"So…" Maika stared blankly at the class journal in front of her, completely lost. She tapped her pen against the desk out of habit.

_Tap. Tap._

Her fellow victim of class duty was also blankly staring into space, trying hard not to fall asleep. For Tetsuya, that's what long matches did to him.

_Sleepy. _

"…What did we do in class today, hm? I can't even remember what I had for lunch—Curry Udon! I got the last Curry Udon, I see!" She smacked her face with her hands, exasperated with herself. "Argh, no that's not it! I hate doing class journals because I don't listen in class!"

No response.

She turned to him as he yawned. (Author: MY BABY!) Aw, _dem cute face_. "Kuuuroko-_kyuuun_!"

She wanted to squish his little cheeks together—aw. _Respect_, she reminded herself. _You need to respect other people's personal space._

"…Sorenji-san, you sound weird."

He rubbed his eyes with his small, pale fists. _DEM CUTE FACE. _

_AWWWWHO'SAGOODBOYGOOGOOCUTIEPIEAWWWW! _

Let me watch you sleep.

"Sorenji-san, that's creepy."

"Oops." She schooled her face back into what was considered legal. "I didn't know what to do, you looked so cute just then!"

He stiffened.

_You looked so cute!_

She would never have said that to Akashi-kun.

"I'm not," he said softly.

"Eh?"

Tetsuya gestured at his upper arms with his poker face. "I'm not cute. Can't you see these biceps?"

Maika was stone faced. "No…you don't have biceps."

"I do, you must look closer."

"I mean...seriously, Kuroko-kun I think _I _have bigger biceps than you do."

"I'm sure mine are bigger." He wouldn't relent.

"_Eh? _Mine are!" She would not back down.

"No, no…"

This was _war_.

The class journal was forgotten, and both were severely scolded by their homeroom teacher when they handed it in. Empty. But since they had club activities they were let off.

For now.

* * *

"What should I do?"

Smokers.

Satsuki knew that those guys were smokers. They congregated behind the gym in crouched hoards. Most of them were the rebel students—though there weren't many in Teiko. However, there were always those 'bad', rebellious kids in every school. It was a fact of life.

She looked worriedly at them, hoping that they'd leave already—the smoke would start getting in the gym where the players were and then they'd inhale it and _couldn't they just leave already?_

"Yo, Satsuki…what are you doing?" She hurriedly shushed Daiki so that his loud, obnoxious voice didn't travel towards the delinquents.

_Argh everyone is so much trouble these days…_

"Smokers-ssu? We should make them leave…but I don't wanna get punched," Ryouta joined the peeking group behind the back door.

"Hah? You scared of getting punched?"

The model laughed. "No, of course not! My fans will cry if I get injured."

"Die."

"How mean Aominecchi!"

Satsuki sighed. She couldn't depend on these guys either way—especially if word reached the teachers that some of the members of the club were involved in a brawl. That would bring an onslaught of problems—suspension, detentions, missing practices…and _heavens forbid_—losing a match without them.

That ground should never be treaded on.

"Alright, I'll go teach 'em a lesson." Daiki cracked his knuckles, ready for some action.

"Eh? Don't go, if you go…then I have to go as well-ssu!"

"Aomine-kun, you'll get into huge trouble and we need you _here_, not at detention!" She cried out, as her and Ryouta held the eager boy back. She shot him her killer-puppy-teary-eyes. "Stay, Dai-chan."

(Author: Aw. Isn't that sweet)

Satsuki ruined the otherwise romantic connotations with her truthful thoughts."…You'll get pummelled! They look strong!"

"You saying I'm weak?" Daiki pointed at Ryouta. "Weaker than this girly guy here?"

"_Kora-ssu_!"

Satsuki pouted. "I didn't mean that…I know that Ki-chan doesn't seem as dependable as you… (Ryouta: So cruel!) It's just...we need someone to solve this peacefully!"

Today, of all days, Akashi-kun and Midorin and Mu-kun were away at a practice match. All the dependable people (resolved things peacefully through talking, freaked them out with his weirdness and scared them to death…in that order) were not here!

_What should I do? _

"Excuse me…"

She gasped when she saw the brave soul approach them. Kuroko-kun? No, don't take them on! Stop, stop!

STOP NO I CAN'T WATCH!

"Smoking is bad for you, and for the other people inside the gym. Could you please stop?" Tetsuya, the brave, kind soul had walked straight up to them—so cool!

_Dokyuun! _Her heart did a little flip in her chest.

"Heh. So Tetsu decided to wipe them out?"

Ryouta looked sceptical. _He's going to be flattened._ This was his weak-ass instructor after all. "Kuroko-kun? Er…I don't think—"

"Go, go, Kuroko-kun!" she urged him on quietly.

The nose-ring smoker guy towered over Tetsuya. "Who do you think you are, you punk!"

Tetsuya stood firm. "I'm a member of the team who are practicing inside the gym. What you are doing now is disrespectful to them."

Nose-ring guy gripped the smaller boy's shirt and brought him to an intimidatingly close distance, and his lackeys stood up as well, jeering. "I'll teach you a lesson!" He brought a leg up to kick his side…

Daiki stiffened beside her. "I'll teach _him_—"

"A-aominecchi? Calm down!"

"Let me go help Tetsu!" He roared, trying to break free of the collective grip the two held him in.

_Tetsu needs me!_

"_DYNAMIIIC KIIICK!" _A familiar voice bellowed from afar in the background.

"The fuck is wrong with this chick?"

"S-she took three guys down in a f-flash!"

Panic within the delinquents.

"Don't worry, Aomine-kun, Ki-chan—Mai-chan's here to save the day!" Satsuki yelled happily. "Look!"

Ryouta was doubtful as he turned to look—

Oh, wow. _WOW._

One moment, Tetsuya was being held up by nose-ring guy and next moment, nose-ring guy was eating dirt; face down along with two of his lackeys. IN A FLASH.

A happy orange girl stood victoriously on the leader's back as the remaining few scrambled away.

Maika retracted her leg from her _dynamic kick_, shooting a clapping Tetsuya a victory sign. "Mission: Save Kuroko-kun from the bad guys is accomplished!"

"Thank you, Sorenji-san."

She slung an arm around his shoulder, grinning. "That's what friends are for! Oh yeah…they didn't hurt you too bad, right?"

The boy shook his head, smiling slightly.

Ryouta replayed the scene in his brain many, many times as he stood at the doors, stunned whilst Satsuki and Daiki approached the late duo.

_HOLY COW. _

_WOW._

* * *

"I heard that you're a black belt in karate?_ Uwaaaah_-_ssu_…" Ryouta gushed at Maika, doing dramatized karate poses for emphasis.

"…Yup, I've been doing it since I was quite young."

"That's amazing! You're like…the karate kid, Sorenjicchi!"

She looked at him, confused. "What's with the 'chi'?"

He grinned. "I add 'chi' because I respect strong people like you!"

She blinked before laughing away his statement…quite modestly. "Ah…that—I'm not really _that_ strong…I just have more experience than others."

"You probably could take us all down in a fight…maybe," Daiki suggested as he strode up next to her, his hands laced lazily behind his head.

"…Maybe." She gave an unconvinced look towards Atsushi the colossal titan. "But most likely not _all_ of you."

"Speaking of fighting, did you watch Miura Takashi's boxing match last night? I was so touched that Japan won!"

"I didn't watch…Nee-chin was watching a soap opera rerun on television, Kise-chin," Atsushi said in his slow drawl.

"What a shame!"

"Oh yeah, that last uppercut was great! My old man went nuts," Daiki laughed.

"Your dad's a fan too? Right, right, that finishing blow…"

Maika tuned out of the conversation.

They were on their way to the local convenience store, where Momoi Satsuki will experience the floating sensation (and clap of thunder) the moment Cupid shoots an arrow through her heart.

_Those two…_

Maika glanced behind her as Ryouta and Daiki chatted on about wrestling and boxing and other manly sports. She smiled knowingly upon seeing Satsuki's pink face. Turning her gaze on the oblivious Tetsuya (who waved at her in greeting which she returned in kind), she shot the girl a thumbs-up.

This was going to be fun.

She patted the backs of Ryouta and Daiki, giving them a nudging push forward and making them stumble.

"Woah, Sorenjicchi!"

"What are you—"

"Ah…why don't we walk a little faster?" She took both of their arms and pulled them along with her. "It's getting darker and darker, you know! A frail girl like me shouldn't be roaming the dangerous streets by myself in the dark!"

"Frail girl? All I see is a gorilla—"

_Thump. _

Daiki was silenced with a knockout punch to his gut. (Author: it's a play punch, play punch)

"Let's speed up the process. Mura-kun, I heard that there's a special sale for Umaibo that starts in two minutes, you better ru—Ah, looks like he's taken off really quickly, let's follow him and buy some good old snacks and popsicles for ourselves, teehee!"

"Don't 'teehee' me! Sorenji, my arm…my arm!"

_You better thank me for giving you two some time alone—hohoho! _

"It hurts!" Ryouta moaned. She ignored the two, instead, favouring to run ahead of them.

"Kise-kun, Aomine-kun…last one there has to treat us all! By the way, I'm getting a GoriGori-kun popsicle!"

"…"

They looked at each other.

"…It won't be me!" Not wasting any time, Daiki took off after her, leaving Ryouta far, far behind.

"Eh? Wait! Wait for me!"

(He ended up paying for everything)

_And the remaining two? _

"They left us," Tetsuya observed.

"Y-yeah," Satsuki stammered, tightly gripping at her bag strap. They walked onwards…together.

KYAA TOGETHER!

She heated up like a kettle about to reach boiling point.

_Several minutes later, she fell in love_.

* * *

"Aka-chin wants to ask Momo-chin to go back with Kuro-chin after school," Atsushi had droned to her, the words like music to her ears.

"Huh?"

_Going home with Tetsu-kun?_

_GOING HOME WITH TETSU-KUN! JUST THE TWO OF US?_

_Alone…? _

_Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!_

Somehow, an image of Seijuro looking down at her, his face tilted towards the heavens with his all-knowing expression had popped into her mind. (With the halo of Buddha)

But just as quickly as he had brought her hopes up they came crashing down when she realised that reality was not as sweet as she thought it was.

Midorin, Akashi-kun, Mai-chan, Mu-kun, Ki-chan and that idiot Dai-chan were all _there as well. _

"We're all going home…together?"

Everyone nodded except Maika and Seijuro.

_My love-love walk with Tetsu-kun! _She watched her fantasy shatter into pieces.

"No, don't flip the page yet!" Her despairing fall into the abyss of 'forever alone' was interrupted as she saw Maika panic while she read over Seijuro's shoulder.

"Ah. Sorry," he said.

Her bright eyes drank in whatever legendary sentences were on the page. It seemed that she read something she didn't like, as she huffed and turned away from the novel.

"I can't believe it!"

Seijuro smiled knowingly, letting her go on her emotionally driven rant. "I can't believe he did all that! After a stupid, out of character…_personality_ change—what kind of plot device is that—he turned into a _complete_ maniac…and they were so close, and after _all that_… "

She mussed her hair in frustration. "I don't wanna read anymore but I still _do! _I don't know what to do anymore…_"_

He closed the book gently. "It's one of life's greatest mysteries."

Simultaneously, Satsuki and Maika felt their mouths drop open in shock. Did-did they hear right? Was that a trace of _sarcasm_?

Akashi Seijuro was not _sarcastic_.

Shaken, Maika looked up to the school clock to divert her attention. Fifteen minutes to four (basketball practice was cancelled due to midterms).

"Sei-kun…we need to go soon."

"Yes." He slid the book in his bag, turning towards the group of problematic people. Just as he was about to commence his plan—

"Ano, there's something that I've been wondering about!" Ryouta raised his hand like he was in a classroom, getting all of their attention. He gave a critical stare at Seijuro and Maika, the gears in his brain turning and grinding against each other until it came to a forced stop.

"Question: What exactly is your relationship?"

Satsuki gasped. He had just asked the question that had been lingering in her mind for ages but she never got the chance to ask herself! What courage!

Surprised silence.

"…I'd like to know as well," Tetsuya also raised his hand.

What was this—question and answer in the classroom?

"M-me too!" Satsuki nervously proclaimed. "I mean…you're going home together!"

(That doesn't actually mean anything)

_Well. Isn't it really obvious? _

Maika grinned. _Maybe I should tease them a bit_. "Why don't you all have a guess?"

The guesses were so varied that the author is afraid to put them in.

Shintarou: Pet…No, follower.

Her lips twitched, but the grin stayed.

Atsushi: "…"

Daiki: Dunno. His fan?

The grin faded, and Maika wondered just how socially dense these people were.

Thankfully, their guesses got warmer with Satsuki almost nailing it.

Satsuki: Best friends?

Ryouta: Girlfriend? Friend? Argh, I don't know!

Tetsuya: Childhood friends.

"Bullseye. The winner is Kuroko Tetsuya-kun!" Maika announced dramatically. "Well done, Kuroko-kun! Is there anything you'd like to—"

"Maika, we have to leave now or we'll be late." Seijuro quietly said.

"Oh, okay!"

He cast a quick look to Satsuki. "Momoi, I'll leave the rest to you. Don't let Kuroko run about, send him _straight home_."

Satsuki felt all her thoughts jumble up with questions. "Ah? Hey, Akashi-kun!"

Seijuro strode away, raising a hand to wave goodbye. Maika walked hurriedly behind to catch up. She turned, waving both arms happily. "Bye, Satsuki-chan, everyone! See you later!"

Satsuki watched them disappear around the corner. "T-they actually just left like that…"

_Mou…The only thing I know is that I can't go home with Tetsu-kun anymore. And I was so excited too…_

Life was harsh.

* * *

"Alright, you young fledglings. I'll go brew some tea (and rest my back)."

Maika and Seijuro both were going to stand up to help, but they were shooed away. "No, no…let this lonely old man do some things for his guests." Nakamura the Meijin was in a cheery mood. He clapped Seijuro on the shoulder.

"Akashi-kun, you sure are a talented kid."

Seijuro smiled. "I am honoured to hear that from someone such as you."

The Meijin threw his head back to laugh loudly. He thumped Seijuro on the back merrily. "Loosen up, and enjoy yourself more! Look at Maika-chan, and learn!"

He pretended to whisper a secret to Seijuro, but Maika could hear everything very clearly.

"Ah, the bittersweet days of youth." The old man stood up again, with some difficulty before hobbling away.

Maika laughed. "Very interesting person!"

"Indeed he is," Seijuro replied. His gaze was drawn back to the Shogi board.

A stalemate.

He had fought the Meijin to a stalemate, where neither side had any way of getting out. Shogi was that type of game. However there was the factor that the Meijin was not as sharp as he used to be and his long absence from the Shogi world…

"You look happy."

A ghost of a smile. "Do I?"

She looked straight into his eyes. A small breeze passed through the traditional garden outside, and she burned this fleeting moment into her memories.

A petal from the wisteria tree outside landed gently into the pond. Ripples formed on the still waters.

Her hand touched the worn wooden floors of the balcony, feeling the history.

_Of course you do. I would know._

Raw emotions pervaded the space between them as she traced the character for 'happiness' on his hand. The touch sent tingles up her arm. "And I'm happy when you're happy."

He smiled. "Thank you."

Her honesty had always been a virtue.

* * *

Ryouta wasn't really sure what to think when he met these guys. Sure, Aominecchi was amazing at basketball…and the regulars, and Kurokocchi really surprised him with his amazing passes and Momocchi was great at gathering information and Sorenjicchi could beat you to a pulp…

(And don't forget Midorimacchi, Murasakibaracchi and Akashicchi…all incredible in their own rights)

Being with this group of extraordinary oddballs was really, _really_ fun.

So he went along with them to the convenience store, to the mall, to the arcade. Together, by their sides, he felt whole. He never knew that joining the basketball club (_that_ terrifying 'training' experience with Sorenjicchi) would bring him so much…so much…

_...happiness. _

"Let's take a picture as a memento of today!" he announced, ushering all of his _friends _into the photo booth.

Though there were a few failed photos, he had fun nonetheless.

"Alright, smile!"

"Cheese!" a familiar voice (though unexpected) resounded in the crammed photo booth everyone was in. Her voice completed the missing hole that she left.

"…Mm, this isn't bad…" Ryouta trailed off, snapping his gaze towards the apparition that appeared—

"Sorenjicchi? Why are you here?"

"Mai-chan, that means…"

"Akashi-kun!_ Where's Akashi-kun?"_

_"..._Won't we get into trouble with Akashicchi?"

Maika patted them both on the back. "Don't worry, we got separated in the late-night shopping crowds. "

(Ryouta: Um...there aren't any crowds)

(Maika: Hush)

She leaned forward, over Ryouta's shoulder to look at the freshly printed basketball _purikura. _"Lookie here, there's me!"

"Ah. You're right."

Ryouta saw the orange girl standing right behind the Tetsu-Satsu duo in the photo, doing a pair of bunny ears with both hands on their heads. He smiled.

How childish…

Satsuki sighed in relief. "I wouldn't know what to do if Akashi-kun was here…Listen, Mai-chan—you definitely, _definitely _cannot tell him!"

"Yes, yes! Akashicchi will never know!"

After a moment, Maika nodded.

"What is it that you cannot tell me, Momoi?"

Both guilty parties stiffened. Speak of the _devil_.

* * *

_Ryouta wasn't really used to fighting. He didn't like using violence much, either. But some people can push your buttons so well, so, _so well_ that the fuse just…blows._

And all hell breaks loose.

"_Alright you two break it up, already!" Maika yelled at them, also at the end of her rope. Her voice couldn't reach him…_

_He was seeing red. _

"_Haizaki…you—bastard!" He held a fistful of that guy's shirt, bringing that mocking face closer to his. _

_Damn him. _

_Erozaki leered at Ryouta with a mocking smile. "Weak. You're still so weak, Ryouta." He cocked his fist, and Ryouta saw it coming, he knew that he'd get a black eye from it and why couldn't he dodge shut your eyes just let it hit I don't care anymore—_

_(He wasn't really used to fighting)_

_The pain never came. _

"_Ah, shit—Maika that…hurts like a bitch!" The voice sounded strangely pained and…muffled?_

"…_Are you implying that I am one?" _

_Sorenjicchi?_

_He cracked an eye open. Oh my—_

"_Fuck!"_

_Ryouta opened his eyes fully to see (to his pleasure) that guy's face squashed against the floor, both arms bent backwards at rather awkward angles. _Maika—_Sorenjicchi, of all people—had a knee on his back, keeping him in place. _

_Detaining him. Immobilising him. Humiliating him. _

_Very easily._

"_Why me? Ryouta was part of it too!" _

_She smiled, but her eyes didn't. "Don't you know already?" _

_He smirked, despite his humiliating position. "You do _his _dirty work, don't you?"_

_Whose dirty work, Ryouta wondered. _

_As if reading his thoughts, Maika replied. "I'll enlighten you, Kise-kun."_

_Ryouta saw her strange, tired, smile. _

_Why…are you so sad?_

_A sad smile doesn't belong on her face._

_It was gone in a flash._

_The next words seemed foreboding and heavy and very, very meaningful. He didn't know why, but he knew he would always remember them. _

_Her voice was quiet amongst the noise in the gym, but he heard it…the strange lilt in the fleeting whisper…_

"…_Because Sei-kun said so."_

I'll do anything to stay by your side.

* * *

**つづく**

* * *

**End Notes**

_(Whew! Finished my exams!)_

_And_

_(OMG Three word chapter title!)_

_Slightly darker ending—I can't just charge everything with baseless humour because the plot has to move, and boy oh boy what a plot twist I have planned! Every single detail has been stored inside my nogging, and I'd like to challenge you to try and predict how this will end. _

_And all the foreshadowing…_

_I also felt the need to add my own twist to some of the canon parts, you know…because I really don't like it when people just…rewrite scenes to be lazy—I mean, come on, if I wanted to know, I would've went straight to the manga/or Replace novels. _

_Also, thank you all for so many follows, favourites, and reviews! It'd be nice to hear from the—wow…all the followers and people…even guests too! I usually reply to every review that asks questions…_

_So. Any comments? Questions?_

_Much Love,_

_**Tollpatsch**_


	14. Fever

**オレンジ色の日々**

_**Orenji-iro no hi**_

* * *

**ORANGE DAYS**

* * *

**Part Two: Sprout**

"_Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering." _

― Nicole Krauss_, The History of Love_

* * *

**Fourteen: Fever **

"_This…is like one of those parties from a fairy tale, right, Sei-kun?" Maika tucked a prim curl behind her ear, revealing a sparkling diamond earring. Her bright orange eyes were outlined with the faintest natural makeup, face painted for the occasion. _

"_This is reality. More specifically, a function held by my father." Seijuro took a glass of…whatever the waiter was offering them, and handed one to Maika. _

_Ah, dearest Sei-kun…you can be such a spoilsport sometimes._

_The Akashi family. The cream of the crop of elites in society, the top of the top…a family that bathed in excellence, and boasted the finest pedigree that rivalled royalty. _

Incredible_. Maika knew that this world Seijuro belonged to was galaxies away from her tiny speck of existence. He was so distant, but if she reached out with her fingers…_

_She would be able to touch him. So she did._

"_What is it?" Scarlet looked into her citrus. "Are you planning to be led by the hand for the entire night?" _

_His hand was warm. So he wasn't cold-blooded after all._

_Maika smiled. "…And what if I did?" _

"_I'd rather you not." _

_Unspoken feelings. Her hidden sentiments remained locked tightly in her chest._

"…_Hm. How cruel."_

_She let go. _

* * *

Maika stared at her hand in horror. It was broken. The pencil was broken _five minutes left crap crap CRAP!_

She hurriedly searched through her froggie (_kaeru-chan!_) pencil case as the precious seconds ticked by. Come on, come on, c'mon!

_Pencil found!_

Desperately, she flailed around her desk to find the paper to write her solution on…come on…her desk looked like a war zone. She glared at the empty space in front of her in crazed thought.

Damn. What was she about to write? Okay, so that formula…

Her foot tapped on the floor nervously.

The flipping light over her head was flickering. _WHY WAS IT FLICKERING?!_

_ASDKAHJSKJASD. _

_I got it, I got, I HAVE to get it._

The pencil hit the paper with a vengeance. Maika was possessed by the stressed exam taking student…an evil presence emanated from her being. (This is the current state of the author as well)

(Little boy blue next to her was jolted awake by a dark aura. He peered around, shivering)

_10 seconds left. _

The fire burned within her. She willed her hand to write faster, faster, _as fast as the speed of light! _No matter how much the muscle cramps in her left hand hurt, no matter how the pencil now has made an indentation in her hand (from all those…exams)…she will persevere!

"Pens down, students!"

Maika let out a breath, relieved. She had finished, thank goodness.

Her foot still tapped on the ground in an agitated rhythm. She jumped up to her feet, waving her test paper wildly in one hand and holding the other over her mouth.

"I…ate something wrong—toilet!"

And with those awe-inspiring words, she ran out of her classroom as if the devil himself was chasing her.

…

..

.

The class chattered amongst themselves. An excited, post-test atmosphere hung about as the last exam from the midterms had ended that morning. It felt like they were finally released from the black abyss of test stress…finally feeling the sunlight.

"So…everyone! We should start planning what our class is doing for the festival in homeroom…" the voice of the class president (Makifuji-kun, Makifuji-kun, is that you?) rang out uncertainly over the noise.

People started to throw half-assed ideas.

"A play!"

"Swimsuit-Cosplay café!"

"I want to do a horror house."

"Haha, Kissing booth?" A chorus of whoops and boos accompanied that joker's suggestion.

As that conversation went on, one of the non-participant, our favourite phantom player, looked concernedly as his desk mate.

Maika, pale-faced, was gorging herself on what looked like an early lunch. It seemed that Takeda-san was fussing over her enough for two people. Her desk was lined up with digestive biscuits and water and suspicious white tablets (apparently medicine).

"Are you sure you're alright Sorenji-san?" he asked her quietly.

Maika tried to answer, instead choking on her sandwich. Yumi sighed, thumping her back in support.

"Idiot, chew before you swallow. Don't get so excited because someone's talking to you." She slapped the orange girl's back extra hard, you know…tough love.

Citrus eyes shifted to Tetsuya, and she gave him a thumbs up and a toothy smile to try and convince him of her apparent healthiness.

"I'm great! I feel so good, like a newborn baby!"

_I don't think she used that correctly, _Tetsuya thought to himself. In his heart, he wished her to get better as soon as possible.

"I want a curry café!" The girl in question heartily hollered a suggestion.

"Butlers, butlers, butlers! All the boys have to be butlers! All like Sebastian!" Yumi threw in her own two cents with fervour.

"Eh? Curry's tastier!"

"Butler-boys are tasty too. Especially Sebastian!"

"No way, that's not food!"

"Butler uniforms are deeelicious!"

"Green Curry, Thai Curry, Mussaman Curry, Chicken curry…butter chicken are all delicious too!"

"Women love men in uniform!"

The class president raised his hands in a placating manner. "Now, now, you two…"

"…We see them in the school uniform everyday, curry's better!"

"You moron! You don't understand the appeal of the 'dominate-me' butler uniform, right girls?"

The girls cheered enthusiastically.

Maika looked downtrodden, crushed even. The remaining (male) classmates threw her pitying glances.

"…I think curry's a good idea." Said one boy meekly.

"I kind of don't want to wear a butler uniform…"

"Feels violating…"

"Yeah, yeah. Curry's easy."

"Sorenji looks so sad…c'mon, give her a chance."

Recharged, Maika threw Yumi a challenging glance. Speaking with their eyes, both placed an elbow on the desk (recently cleared).

"Fight, fight, fight!"

"Aaaarrrrmwrestle it out!"

"Win for us, Takeda! For every girl's dream!" Yumi grimaced, clenching Maika's hand tightly.

"For our Kuroshitsuji paradise!" She declared, answered by crazed screams of "Sebby!" and "Shota-Ciel-my-baby!"

On the other side, Maika made a face at her.

Her support was less enthusiastic than Yumi's.

"If you lose Sorenji, you can cry in my arms!"

"I'll comfort you!"

"I'm always welcoming…you can lose if you want to."

She whirled on them, breathing flames. "I won't lose!"

Utter chaos reigned.

And amidst this, Tetsuya (long forgotten) sighed.

* * *

Maika won the battle, but she lost the war. So her fight had become a draw! The—pain!

"Ararara, 39.5 degrees Celsius. Maika, that's a bad fever," her dad, on his rare appearances home faced a dire problem. Hiroto's heart broke at her downcast expression—that watery sheen in her eyes really got him there.

She sniffled, coughing out a sentence. "It must've been late night cramming for midterms. Does that mean I have to miss—"

He stuck a cold pack on her forehead. "I'll call the school that you won't be coming for a few days."

"…But—_geh,_ that means I miss the festival!"

"There's nothing you can do. Sweat it out and get better soon, okay?"

"B-but, dearest daddy, papa—"

"You only call me daddy when you want something!" he cried back. Regaining his composure, 'daddy-mode' switched on. "Ahem. What would you like?"

"I wanna go…to school."

"Denied."

"The festival is a golden experie—_bleugh_, and it's going to _ahemgeh…_fun."

_Judging from the way you sound, you can't even talk._ He looked at her sympathetically. "Care factor? Zero. Okay, maybe one. But you _have_ to rest."

"I, I-_aaachoooo_!"

Hiroto stood up from his kneeling position. "So, the medicine is here, more water's in the kitchen, and your lunch is in the fridge—don't give me that face, it's just soup and rice porridge."

He patted her shoulder over her thick covers as he gathered himself to leave. "I would take a day off of work if I could, but there's a super important client today."

"It's Akashi-san, isn't it?" her voice, clogged with fever and fatigue sounded almost too light. "A _big_ deal with the bank you work for."

He blinked, surprised. "Maika, you know?"

"Yes."

_Oh. _

Silence.

"I'm fine with it. I'm okay."

"I see."

More silence.

"Don't you have to go now? You missed the morning sessions because of me."

"Ah, yes."

"…Sorry about that." She sounded so vulnerable that it broke his heart. His daughter (and his wife) always broke his heart when they got like this.

"No, no, don't be sorry. It's—I…" he struggled with his words. "I have to go."

"Yes."

"Maika, you…just…"

"Hm?"

"Nevermind." Hiroto caressed her burning forehead. "_Ittekimasu_."

She nodded. "_Itterasshai._"

…

**To: Yumi-Chan**

**Subject: FEVER**

**.**

**I have a fever!**

**Missing the festival!**

**No! NO NO!**

**Sick and lonely Maika at home.**

…

"_Sei-kun!" _

_A hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder, making him turn towards them. _

"_Ah, Maika. Where have you been?"_

_Maika looked…ruffled, for there was no word to perfectly describe her state. She seemed to have sprinted back at top speed, for she was out of breath. _

"_I was…around." She grabbed his shoulders, startling him with the ferocity of the gesture. Her eyes searched wildly in his, trying to find something…_

…_that might not even exist. Any semblance, any shadow of its shadow would be—_

_She wasn't making sense even to herself anymore._

"_More importantly, how long have you—no, what do think of…"_

_Me. _

_Have you ever—_

Cared?

_The words died in her throat. She couldn't speak them. _

"_What is it?" Even like…like this, he was still patient. Ever patient, ever the genius. Perfect. _

_The perfect being, Seijuro. Perfect, perfect, PERFECT. _

_She regained her senses, and let him go. "Don't worry about it. I-I'm sorry, nevermind." _

_How ironic. _

_Maika the honest, Maika the talker. Couldn't say it out loud when it really counted._

* * *

_Ding Dong._

Who dared interrupt her second day of rest!

"Mmmm…" Maika groaned from underneath from her covers. Still groggy from sleep, she closed her eyes for another nap…

Ding Dong.

She cracked one tired eye open, wincing at the dulled afternoon rays. "Guh…annoying. Is it the magazine people again?"

Ding Dong. Ding Dong. Ding Dong. DING DONG.

That was the last straw. Screw security regulations and using the intercom for safety, she'll give those bastards _one pirate king-sized_ _piece_ of her mind…!

_Pit pat pit pat pit patpitpatpitpatpitpat THUD THUD CRASH. _

_SLAM!_

"I told you guys already, we don't order _Bunny Girls_! I cancelled the subscription, it was for a prank you annoying—oh."

Satsuki's shocked face stared back at her. "Mai…chan?"

"Heh. You're such an idiot, Mai." Yumiiiiiiiiii!

"Anyway, I was coming over to make you dinner (holds up grocery bags) and these guys decided to come along."

_THAT! THAT'S THE NICEST THING—_

"You guys…came to visit me?" her voice was affected with emotion.

Satsuki beamed. "Of course, we were worried!"

"I've read _Bunny Girls_. It was great—" Satsuki elbowed Daiki in the gut.

"Shh! Girls don't like your dirty picture books!"

Everyone politely ignored Daiki.

"Renji-chin's pajamas are sunflowers." (Trust him to say something totally unrelated)

"Hmph. I didn't come for _you_. I was ordered along against my will." Shintarou looked away pointedly.

"That's okay. Thank you for letting yourself be 'ordered along', Midorima-kun."

"Eh? Midorimacchi, what are you talking about, you were—"

"Shut UP, Kise."

"Eh? Come on…_fine _then, _I'll _say it. Anyway, Sorenjicchi, _we were all_ really worried about you! Ta-dah!"

"Um, thank you so much you guys." Tears welled in her eyes, and she had the sudden urge to call for a group hug, but she didn't. Because she might spread contagions. "I'm so touched!"

A box was placed in her hands, as (_woah _sudden) blue eyes bore into hers. "Good afternoon, Sorenji-san. We came to see you," Tetsuya said. "It's your favourite cake."

"It's the ginger mint chocolate carrot banana cream bonanza?"

She ignored Daiki's gagging sounds. Politely.

"…Yes."

She smiled, truly, truly grateful. "Thank you! I really do mean it! Um…come inside! Inside, inside!"

…

..

.

_Kitchen Team: Murasakibara—Midorima—Kuroko—Momoi (tagged along) _

_Leader: Yumi_

It was a recipe for disaster. Yumi could feel the calamity approaching at an alarming speed.

"So you're going to chop with bandages on."

"This slimy texture…is simply _disgusting_," Shintarou announced when he was handed a knife and commanded to chop chicken fillets. "Was the board, the knife and the chicken disinfected properly? I only use sterilised utensils."

Yumi sighed. This glasses guy, no matter how much she liked glasses was so fussy. A fussy pair of glasses. "Yes, yes, yes. The knife was run under boiling water. And your left hand is bandaged, you know."

"I also only eat free range, organic—"

"Yes, yes, a thousand yes's. Now, is that knife going to be doing any chopping in the next year? Have you noticed that your hand is_ bandaged?_"

She was ignored, again.

He dissected the fillets into near-identical cubes. With one hand. Like a surgeon.

…

..

.

"Oh, Murasakibara-kun, what are you doing?"

The tall boy was hunched over, intently focused on his activity. "I'm…cooking."

"For the chicken curry?" Yumi tried to see what he was doing, but to no avail.

"No."

"Okay." Something just didn't click in her mind. Wait.

"Then what are you doing?"

"Cooking."

This conversation was going _nowhere_. It was as dry as the sandy deserts of Alabasta, damn it all.

"So, you can cook. What are you cooking? Sauce for the curry?"

He finally moved to show her what he was doing. A big bowl of candies, chocolates, mints and other unidentifiable unhealthy things.

So he was unwrapping sweets.

"Er…"

_Um, that's definitely NOT cooking. That's I—feel—unhappy—so—I'll—binge—eat—on—all—these—cand ies—I've—unwrapped. _

_Is…is he mentally um normal?_

"Murasakibara-kun…"

Atsushi hugged the bowl to his chest and stepped back to leave—

"Watch it, you fool! I almost cut my finger!"

"Um, you guys…"

"Ah. Sorry."

Something clattered to the floor. A pair of…glasses? The giant bent down to pick it up.

"Could you give my glasses back?"

Seriously, Atsushi gazed at the glasses. "I'm sorry, Mido-chin. I didn't mean to bump into you." He apologised to the object.

"Oi. What are you doing?"

"Renji-chin said that Mido-chin is 99% his glasses. So these glasses are Mido-chin."

"That's a lie! Sorenji was obviously lying to you!"

"No, she wasn't."

"_HUH?"_

"…Because I believe. In these glasses. She said."

"In the end, you're just quoting off someone else!"

_These guys…_

Oh GOD _how did Mai deal with them?_

…

..

.

"Thank you, Kuroko-kun for being somewhat useful," Yumi said as she stirred the curry.

"You're welcome. I could at least prepare rice for the cooker. It's the least I could do to help."

"Kyaa—how thoughtful Tetsu-kun!" Satsuki gushed in the background.

Yumi let the mixture simmer, turning the heat down. She was hailed as the ideal housewife, after all. This kind of thing was easy to her.

Upon turning around, she was greeted with one of the strangest things she'd ever seen.

"_Eto_, I really wanted to help, so I made some side dishes, teehee!"

Yumi strained a smile back. _Side dishes…to curry?_

Teehee!

teehee…

_WHAT THE HELL IS THAT…DARK MATTER? _

"This is onigiri with salmon flakes!"

_How-how did rice balls turn into dark matter?_

"This is kappamaki (*cucumber sushi)"

_No, it still looks like dark matter. How did cucumber turn out like this nuclear waste?_

_HOW?_

"…and more of my special: kappamaki!"

Yumi noticed that Tetsuya was nowhere to be found. Neither was anyone other than the two of them left in the kitchen.

Sly bastards.

"I wonder if he'll like it…" Satsuki mumbled shyly to herself. "Tetsu-kun…"

_No, I can hear you. Loud and clear. Very loud and clear._

"I hope he will…I'll ask him which one he likes better! Yeah!"

_Um. He won't be able to tell the difference between dark matter type DEATH and dark matter type ETERNAL REST._

"And he'll say…Satsuki, I like you the best—kyaa I can't take this anymore!"

_I can hear you, you know._

"Um. I'm just…gonna go…check on the curry. Yeah, I think I'll do that."

…

..

.

_Everyone else: leftover useless guys_

"Ah, that spot! Yes, yes!"

"You're amazing, Kise-kun."

"Mmmmm."

Ryouta stopped for a moment, heavily embarrassed. "Um…"

"Eh? Why'd you stop? Keep going! Now, massage that part under my shoulders—ah that feels good—Oh!"

Somehow…this situation…

Daiki, from his comfortable sprawled position on the sofa lounge, decided to chip into the conversation, his eyes never leaving the NBA game broadcasted on the plasma screen. "Eh? Why'd you stoop? Keep moving, faster, faster, faaaasstteer!" he imitated (badly) Maika's voice.

Even Kise Ryouta got embarrassed. You know, he's at that tender age during puberty, and as a teenage boy…

"Aw, stop teasing me Aominecchi!"

"Haha, Kise-kun!"

"And you too, Sorenjicchi. You were doing that on purpose, right? How mean, teaming up against me."

Maika leaned her head back to smile at him. "Sorrryyy! I couldn't help myself, I lack human contact and I'm so happy that you guys came to see me. Forgive me?" She tried her best puppy eyes on him.

It worked.

"Your sins have been forgiven!"

Ryouta stared at the Daiki's lazy form. "Do you want to be forgiven by me, Aominecchi?"

Daiki chewed on a rice cracker, propping his head up in one arm. "No way in hell. That's disgusting."

"Eh? My fans said that they'd love it."

"I'm not yer fan. Besides, (he reached for another cracker) one bad thing counteracts another and they cancel each other out."

Gold and Orange stared at him pityingly.

Maika shook her head as she leant back into the couch, next to Ryouta. "…And _that's_ why you're Ahomine. That made no sense."

"Oi."

"Uhuh. What are you going on about, Aominecchi? Are you okay?"

"Oi, oi—now it's _you two_ joining up? Che."

She grinned. "Oh yeah, by the way…anything happen at the festival?"

Ryouta and Daiki shared a knowing look with each other.

"Well, Sorenjicchi…"

That night, her house was filled with laughter. Dinner tasted better when she ate with other people.

She still tingled with happiness, recalling what Yumi had whispered to her before she left.

"_You know, you've got to thank Kuroko-kun. When he heard that you were sick, he organised for all these people to come." _

_Maika decided to give him the biggest smile _ever.

Friends.

Friends are a good thing.

* * *

She had been waiting for it to happen all night.

_Brring. _

Could it be…him?

_Brring Brring. Brrin—_

"Hello? Ah, mum? Yes, I'm fine now. I've rested—and my friends came over to see me! Yes, okay, that's fine. Bye."

Clang.

Maika sighed. She got her hopes up too much. She thought that since he didn't come today (_does he care? does he care as much as I do?_)…maybe he would call.

_Brring. _

_Brring. Brring. _

This…could be…! Oh my, this could be it! With trembling hands, she brought the receiver to her ear.

"H-hello? This is Maika speaking."

_**Good Evening, this is a representative from Bunny Girl magazine calling about your—**_

CLANG!

She stared at the telephone darkly. _Is this thing cursed? _

_Brring. Brring. Brring. _

She picked it up. "You know, I've said this a thousand times already, I don't want any of the toys that come with the magazine! I've cancelled! Done!"

_**Maika?**_

_Thump._

Er, did her heart skip a beat just then? Huh? _Maybe I ate too much curry?_

"Sei-kun! You're calling me?"

_**Yes. I'm very surprised.**_

"A-about what?" And why was she stammering?

_**I thought that idiots don't catch colds. But, obviously that's not true.**_

"Hey, that's mean!"

_**Are you recovering well? You see, I sent Midorima with Kuroko-kun. Did they come visit you?**_

"Yes and yes! You see, everyone came and I was very happy! And I heard about the Shogi club challenging you over and over at the festival. Did you have fun playing against them?"

_**It seems so. But knowing that you will win detracts from the experience. **_

"Haha, one of these days, you're totally going to lose…you must've looked like Satan, with that bag of prizes."

_**You mean Santa, right? Santa and Satan are very different.**_

"Oops! Hehe, you know...I haven't talked to you in two days…and I think I really missed you."

There wasn't a response from the other end yet, so she frantically tried to mend things wait _why was she so flustered?_

"Ah-I mean, wouldn't you miss someone as magnificent as I am, hahaha!"

It seemed like fifty billion years crawled by before he finally spoke up.

_**Well…who knows about that? **_

Yes, who knows, indeed.

* * *

**つづく**

* * *

**End Notes**

_A bit of a wait. I know. And this is another transitioning plot chapter. Oh, but if you look closely there ARE A TON of clues for the future! Hint: it starts from the chapter's epigram…_

_Reasons: Exams, Gintama. I love Gintama. Totally loved the Kurokono Tasuke chapters, a rip-off of Kuroko no Basuke. Couldn't stop laughing._

_ANYWAY…_

_The events in the italics are what I call a 'parallel storyline'. It either has happened or is going to happen. So it's a way of making the story more exciting than the conventional past to present way of moving the plot. But it's up to your imagination slot them where you like._

_So that bombshell last chapter is a leap in to the future. Don't think too much of it all…just take it all in stride, and you will understand sooner or later. _

_The next update will be after my exams…in early November, I believe. And then it'll be regular. _

_I hope you liked this chapter,_

_Much Love,_

_**Tollpatsch**_


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